Port Alberni provides easy access to all the hot fishing spots along the 30 miles of the Alberni Canal toward Pill Point at the gateway to the Barkley Sound. The Alberni Canal sees over one million salmon swim through its waters each year and has Vancouver Island's largest Salmon return. These salmon leave the inlet and then enter the Somass and Stamp Rivers to spawn. Barkley Sound is part of the migration route of annually returning salmon, new schools of fish come into this area daily, which guarantees that the area does not get over fished. These salmon feed heavily on baitfish while entering the Port Alberni inlet and along their journey up the canal, all in all, this makes for Great Fishing in Port Alberni.
  In the winter months Barkley Sound is good for fishing for Chinook salmon that range from 5 to 12 pounds, Pill Point, Diplock, and Vernon Bay are good areas from January to March, with March being the peak when the herring spawn.

  Pacific Salmon species are what make Port Alberni a major destination in sport fishing.
Pacific salmon varieties include:

       Sockeye Fishing (Red) - run from mid to late June, through to the middle of August.
  Large schools of sockeye salmon spend time in the Alberni Inlet making for great sport fishing, you realize this when you have up to 3 or 4 fish on at one time. The Sockeye Salmon are strong determined fighters and make for great action on light tackle, with the best fishing times being in the morning hours.

       Chinook Fishing (King) - run from the middle of August, through to late September.
On Labour Day Weekend Port Alberni host the Labor Day Weekend Salmon fishing derby. Large Chinook are in abundance in the Port Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound at this time, ranging from 25 to 40 pound Chinook Salmon, and larger.

       Coho Fishing (Silver) - run from early to mid September, through to the middle of October. Coho Salmon are very fast fighters, known to wildly erratically leap, jumping high out of the water.


              

Port Alberni Salmon Fishing Festival

  The Port Alberni Salmon Festival is a major 3-day event held annually on Labour Day weekend. Join in the fun for a chance to win daily prizes of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, as well as the grand prize of $7,000 for catching the "big one" of the derby!   $30.00 Per Rod


  

2010 Salmon derby winner John Robertson of Parksville, B.C. 40.3 lb.

2009 Port Alberni Salmon Festival Grand Prize winner
Cory Jones with a 43.4 lb Salmon, caught at Poet Nook. Congratulations Cory!

2008 Port Alberni Salmon Festival Grand Prize winner
Penny Oyama with a 37.8 lb Salamon, caught in the Alberni harbour. Congratulations Penny!

  2007 Port Alberni Salmon Festival Grand Prize winner
Toni Uusikartano with a 41 pound Salmon. Congratulations Toni!

  2006 Port Alberni Salmon Festival Grand Prize winner
Dave Boxrud with a 44.60 pound Salmon, caught near Bradys Beach using bait. Congratulations Dave!