2025 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

[M1SF1T]

We've been out for two days now, picking up mostly small fish.

Kept a couple around 10# out by Wash Rock yesterday... White hoochie and a iridescent sort of WCT spoon.

Today tried several inside spots and it was pretty slow, again a few small fish, and kept a 10# at Camel... white and black coho king for that one.

Prawn trap came up with 2 LOL... might have left it soak too long, overnight plus a day of fishing.

We're not fishing too hard though, wind and chop aren't great, found a sweet soft sand beach, and another great swimming spot. so that was a highlight...

 

[Hot-Streak]

Hello all,

Heading up to nookta starting friday 18th morning from Victoria. Just a check up/update on info.

1) We will be camping in Moucha bay resort. Taking my friends 18ft Hewescraft ProV and Towing with a RAM 1500. Any issues with towing all the way to moutcha on the logging road past Gold River? how are the road conditions right now?

2) This is my 2nd time in Nookta, are the salmon on the inside yet or do we need to go outside to the lighthouse etc? We are not hard core about limiting, just want to explore and have a good time, bottom fish, salmon all ok. My friend's boat does not have as steep a deadrise as my sliver streak so if the weather is bad on the outside we will stay inside and fish.

3) Any decent bottom fishing on the inside? (not asking for spots just general confirmation if its worth it). I have a background in underwater survey and my friends boat has a sidescan/down vision sonar so we can search around but is it generally productive for bottom fish if we can't get outside due to weather?

4) Do people chat on radio up there? if so is it VHF 68 like it is down here in Victoria?

5) Lastly any tips/trips/general advice welcome!

If you see a black Hewescraft with a devastatingly handsome fisherman in a blue life jacket feel free to say hello. I'll be on VHF 68, call sign Hot-Streak if anyone wants to share info or chat.

Oh and if someone who is already up there needs anything I can pickup on the way, shoot me a message. Cheers

 

[tubber]

Cover everything for dust. Go slow. Sunday and Monday look awesome for outside fishing wind and waves.
You won't need to search for inside rockfish if you can get outside for lings a couple times. Don't know about inside salmon, but looks like you may have to try on Friday due to wind and swell.
Anchovy in a pale blue helmut, watermelon coyote, white hoochie is campground advice from 15 years ago when I last camped there with my 11 foot boat. They worked.

 

[M1SF1T]

I towed my 20' Bridgeview in to Moutcha this week. The road was OK, I broke a tie-down strap which surprised me. The boat was dusty, but there's water on the dock and a quick spray down was all it took to clean it up after launching.

 

[Marsman]

Hi,

What’s the cost this year for parking a truck and trailer at the gold river boat launch compound. Daily and year?

Thanks, Rob

 

[Drewski Canuck]

Alot of Nootka success depends on whether the jellyfish are in thick, and if and when it rains.

Really tough fishing a few years ago in August as you could walk on the Jellyfish. As in, Steg was coated when you tilted the motor up. Impossible to fish on the inside, and it had been a hot summer and the River really did not flow.

A few days after a good stretch of rain brings the fish in in late July - August. Otherwise they stay off shore and it is like finding a needle in a haystack going out 10 miles to just troll in hopes of a hit.

While there has been no reports of Mackerel the last few years, in the past you could not get anything down, bait or hardware, before a mackerel hit and you then were dragging the equivalent of a shaker. Only strategy was frequent hook checks as in every 5 minutes.

The Bull Lake Summit decent is way better than in the early 1990's, but still dusty, still steep, still hairpin curves and one way bridges.

And yet despite all the hardships, I still keep going back....

Drewski

 

[Scoopy]

Hi All,

Heading up for our 4th year in a row on August 9th for 5 days at Moutcha Bay, we will run from GR with our new to us Trophy 2359 that my kids have officially named "Megalodon". We do plan to go offshore this year with the bigger boat, I have a few spots I want to try for lings and Halibut. Just curious as to what everyone uses for accurate weather reports up there. We have done quite well on our previous trips at all the usual spots. Small Green spoons, white hoochies and small anchovies with a cheap green flasher at 45'-95' always seem to produce. We have always fished from around August 5-15th. Early AM and evening seem to be the best bite. Watch out for the seal in Beercan Bay!