2025 Bamfield and Barkley Sound Reports

Returned from Bamfield on Thursday after 6 days.
We had no power for the last 2 or 3 days. Road out on the Cowichan was long with 2 little kids in the truck but we managed. honestly that road was better than the old PA-Bammy road before paving.
Fishing was meager the first couple days but we found some. Sent a couple buddies home with their springs 8-20lbs on monday.
Ended up bringing another twenty springs and ten coho home on our ride. It was pretty lumpy everywhere so no bottomfishing.
Lots of small fish around (4 lbs) so bait came off and spoons went on. Did best on the no-bananas and yes-bananas skinny gees. Also got some nice fish on herring.
Saw a 30lber caught in Scotts bay. Water clears up and dirties up with tide changes.
We fished Beale, Kirby, Sanford, Aguilar/Wall, Harbor Entrance, and Swale.
My folks stayed up for a couple extra days at the cabin and did well at Whittle.
Fish are definitely moving in hard.
Had a good time.
We did have a weird encounter with a thief on a sailboat in the middle of grappler that was asking for a ride to the dock, we quickly found out he was shady and told him he had to get back on the sailboat that wasnt his. Rather than stick around for LEOs or locals, he decided to jump into the water fully clothed and swim to shore. I think he got nabbed at the launch. Always an adventure.
 
Is there any ice available in Bamfield? Is the wreckage open? Supposed to come up this weekend and just wondering what's available?
 
Brett83 said:
Is there any ice available in Bamfield? Is the wreckage open? Supposed to come up this weekend and just wondering what's available?
Click to expand...

Mackay had ice, wreckage wants people to come. Everyone(that I talked to) in Bamfield is quite angry about people being told not to go.

Just got back home from Bamfield today.

Thursday we launched in Port, picked up a couple in San Mateo then moved along, slow but steady at the Wall and we landed a 25lb just off the Bamfield lighthouse.

Friday fished Sandford in the morning, got soaked. Good action over there but we blew it by having a couple fish break off. Fishing was decent during the rain but slow in the evening.

Saturday morning checked Sandford again, no bait no fish. Tried Whittlestone but the weather was severely unpleasant so we headed back over to the wall and ended up with our limit. No crazy action and the new fish coming in seemed smaller.

Sunday morning was the first super hot bite that I saw. Nets out all over the place at Robbers. We were already done with our possession limits, friends hit Yankee Bay on Sunday night, 5 person limit in about 2.5hrs. We saw a lot of boats at Assits and Yankee Bay again this morning on the way by.

White hoochies in the morning for us, bait mid-day to evening. 40-50ft at Sandford/Robbers/Yankee Bay, 55-65 at the wall. Still super brown around Bamfield as of today.
 
Just finished up 4 days. Stayed at Woods end. He’s got generators to the cabins and freezers. Mckays has ice and fuel. Friday morning bite was good at Sandford. Saturday morning ran to sandford and nothing, ran back to Aquilar and trolled out and hit 3 fish on white hoochies 48’ down. Sunday morning the bite was on fire from Aquilar toward the ocean to about whittlestone and back. 8 kings all on hoochies 45 or 48’ down. This morning tried to head offshore and really no bite so we ran back in and dropped in around whittlestone and started trolling it down and the bite was on again. 7 fish today same thing 45’ and 48’ white hoochies. Didn’t touch a fish on bait this trip. Sounds like today’s bite was on almost everywhere. Fish are in go get em
 

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Grappler_UNIfLi said:
Returned from Bamfield on Thursday after 6 days.
We had no power for the last 2 or 3 days. Road out on the Cowichan was long with 2 little kids in the truck but we managed. honestly that road was better than the old PA-Bammy road before paving.
Fishing was meager the first couple days but we found some. Sent a couple buddies home with their springs 8-20lbs on monday.
Ended up bringing another twenty springs and ten coho home on our ride. It was pretty lumpy everywhere so no bottomfishing.
Lots of small fish around (4 lbs) so bait came off and spoons went on. Did best on the no-bananas and yes-bananas skinny gees. Also got some nice fish on herring.
Saw a 30lber caught in Scotts bay. Water clears up and dirties up with tide changes.
We fished Beale, Kirby, Sanford, Aguilar/Wall, Harbor Entrance, and Swale.
My folks stayed up for a couple extra days at the cabin and did well at Whittle.
Fish are definitely moving in hard.
Had a good time.
We did have a weird encounter with a thief on a sailboat in the middle of grappler that was asking for a ride to the dock, we quickly found out he was shady and told him he had to get back on the sailboat that wasnt his. Rather than stick around for LEOs or locals, he decided to jump into the water fully clothed and swim to shore. I think he got nabbed at the launch. Always an adventure.
Click to expand...
lol, ya,, warned him there where no police in bamfield. offered him a ride to shore and he decided to swim. i have no idea why?
 
Brett83 said:
Is there any ice available in Bamfield? Is the wreckage open? Supposed to come up this weekend and just wondering what's available?
Click to expand...
i ice is available. Mckay is doing one bag per boat. mils is making.. so is bam lodge.
wreckage is open for business , bam lodge processing and freezing as well as Mills.
 
We returned from Bamfield after 4 days of great fishing. We limited out on quality Chinook 12-18 pounds. What worked for us was finding water with good clarity (plankton bloom still has some murky water moving with the big tides) and running anchovies on one side of the boat and hoochie on the other side. We found clearer water at Cree, Meers Bluff and Pill Point and all produced Chinook. We kept some nice Coho to 9 pounds, but I think the Coho are just starting to come into the Sound. Key for us was using flashers with glow and running gear at 45-35'. Tight lines all!.
 
Anyone who has plans to go to Bam should go. They need the business. Was just there it’s totally fine all are helping each other and supplies continue to come in. Real easy for those other groups to say stay away. Boat in, support Bam and have a great time.

Fishing was spotty/slow for us Aug 12-14, but got into some real nice fish including my 10 yo son’s first 20+ that hit the scales at 26. Highlight of our trip no doubt.

Good luck to all !
 
StupidityKills said:
Mackay had ice, wreckage wants people to come. Everyone(that I talked to) in Bamfield is quite angry about people being told not to go.

Just got back home from Bamfield today.

Thursday we launched in Port, picked up a couple in San Mateo then moved along, slow but steady at the Wall and we landed a 25lb just off the Bamfield lighthouse.

Friday fished Sandford in the morning, got soaked. Good action over there but we blew it by having a couple fish break off. Fishing was decent during the rain but slow in the evening.

Saturday morning checked Sandford again, no bait no fish. Tried Whittlestone but the weather was severely unpleasant so we headed back over to the wall and ended up with our limit. No crazy action and the new fish coming in seemed smaller.

Sunday morning was the first super hot bite that I saw. Nets out all over the place at Robbers. We were already done with our possession limits, friends hit Yankee Bay on Sunday night, 5 person limit in about 2.5hrs. We saw a lot of boats at Assits and Yankee Bay again this morning on the way by.

White hoochies in the morning for us, bait mid-day to evening. 40-50ft at Sandford/Robbers/Yankee Bay, 55-65 at the wall. Still super brown around Bamfield as of today.
Click to expand...
Great report and trip!!
Curious who doesn’t want us to go to Bamfield? Couldn’t be local residents,or anyone in small business. Hmmm..
 
The FN band and local municipality have been putting out regular statements to stay away. So a lot of people have canceled etc. without consulting the local business community so it seems. I am looking at going back for few days shortly here to wind down the season. Don't mind supporting business there.
 
We were foolish enough to show up to Bamfield with only a quarter tank of diesel for the truck.
When we went to leave on the Cowichan we were worried about making it to a fuel station since its an unknown road to us.
Day before leaving we went to the Fuel bar and the natives told us that they had to hold on to all the diesel because it runs the water treatment plant and they were running low. Locals told us thats BS and that fuel comes in on the Cowichan Road no matter what. We basically had to take our 2 and 4 yr old out of the car and beg for 40 liters. Shocker the guy in charge of the fuel isnt even FN. He obliged but its fubar they can horde fuel like that. I think this ordeal is exposing how little the FN care about local businesses.
My folks have had a residence in Grappler for 30+ years and pay the ridiculous taxes for only a few weeks of use, its getting disheartening.
 
We had a town meeting yesterday that had a few players involved. Wildfire BC, ACRD, Hydro, emergency relief people.

clear message, acrd were defending the incorrect communication, putting control on false media from people who do not run our town. we are getting zero help from the province. they really blew it by backing up an individual who went to the media staying "stay away" no surprise at all, he was not there.
MOT was not there either to address the lack of action to improve the YouBou route and the incorrect signage that stated bamfield road closed.

as a community whom relies on our tourism, we are pissed. personally i am out 20k plus tips. i am picking up more now here and there.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like the rains have the salmon hitting the sound and inlet. Going to head out Thursday or Friday, good to hear the town amenities are up a running. Dinner in the restaurants would be great and fuel for the run home.
 
Hey 👋🏽, we are headed there in two weeks time for our annual fishing trip . Can anyone tell me if the Bamfield road is open or do you need to take the lake Cowichan route. Thanks
 
chopper said:
Hey 👋🏽, we are headed there in two weeks time for our annual fishing trip . Can anyone tell me if the Bamfield road is open or do you need to take the lake Cowichan route. Thanks
Click to expand...

DriveBC

Check real-time BC road conditions, closures, highway webcams, and delays with DriveBC.
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Just heading back to the mainland after 6 days in Bamfield. Fishing was great. All the usual spots had fish. Sanford, Fleming, whittlestone etc. Some great morning bites. Anchovies worked well inshore. Nothing huge for us. Mostly 15 to 20lb fish. Few coho inshore, but found a pile of them at ten mile. Got our halibut at big bank as well.

Didn't miss anything in town. Store, restaurants, fuel no issue. Everyone is in a good spirits and seemed like business as usual. Maybe the hum of a few generators.

@trophywife nice meeting you at the store yesterday. We are booked 14th to 20th again next year. Maybe run into you again.
 
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