Bella Coola to Shearwater

[GumbyFromLumby]

I have just booked a cabin at Whiskey Cove in Shearwater for Aug 4th-8th 2025. I will be travelling with 2 friends from Bella Coola to Whiskey Cove in my 22ft Hewescraft Ocean Pro with 200hp Yamaha. I do have the newest Raymarine electronics with radar and Navionics card. I have read every thread on here about this trip but they all seem a little outdated now and nothing recent. The 3 of us have fished the west coast of Vancouver Island quite a bit but have never been to Shearwater. This will be our first trip out this way and was looking for any advice that would help us. I have some questions that some of you may be able to help with.

Decent motel in Bella Coola for the night before our trip (will have truck and trailer)?
Best place to launch boat early morning in Bella Coola and info on parking truck and trailer for the 5 days.
Best boating route from Bella Coola to Shearwater?
Worth bringing crab and prawn traps this time of year and where to use them?
Any other useful info for a newbie to the area?

I am really looking forward to this trip and really appreciate any info you can all help with. Thanks in advance.

 

[SeaWolf]

Buy your gas over in Bella Bella, cheaper than Shearwater. Always run on a full tank, both sides can run out of gas if there is an issue with the delivery. Hotspots: Billy Idol, Dick Cheney, Cultus. McInnes if you like burning gas. Lucy Island for Coho and the classic fishing at a beauty Lighthouse Instagram shot. Block Ice at the Shearwater Store. Just curious what they are charging, you can pm me if you do not want to post here. I'm guessing Dean Channel and Gunboat Passage is the most direct route, but I'm an Island guy and run from Hardy.

 

[Weatherall]

Been there. Great spot! I agree with these spots. Spider Island is also worth adding to the list. Just be carefull with Prawn and Crab traps. We had a few go missing in the area. Beauty spot. Amazing fishing.

 

[GumbyFromLumby]

Buy your gas over in Bella Bella, cheaper than Shearwater. Always run on a full tank, both sides can run out of gas if there is an issue with the delivery. Hotspots: Billy Idol, Dick Cheney, Cultus. McInnes if you like burning gas. Lucy Island for Coho and the classic fishing at a beauty Lighthouse Instagram shot. Block Ice at the Shearwater Store. Just curious what they are charging, you can pm me if you do not want to post here. I'm guessing Dean Channel and Gunboat Passage is the most direct route, but I'm an Island guy and run from Hardy.

Thanks for the info. Sent you a pm.

 

[the force]

I have just booked a cabin at Whiskey Cove in Shearwater for Aug 4th-8th 2025. I will be travelling with 2 friends from Bella Coola to Whiskey Cove in my 22ft Hewescraft Ocean Pro with 200hp Yamaha. I do have the newest Raymarine electronics with radar and Navionics card. I have read every thread on here about this trip but they all seem a little outdated now and nothing recent. The 3 of us have fished the west coast of Vancouver Island quite a bit but have never been to Shearwater. This will be our first trip out this way and was looking for any advice that would help us. I have some questions that some of you may be able to help with.

Decent motel in Bella Coola for the night before our trip (will have truck and trailer)?
Best place to launch boat early morning in Bella Coola and info on parking truck and trailer for the 5 days.
Best boating route from Bella Coola to Shearwater?
Worth bringing crab and prawn traps this time of year and where to use them?
Any other useful info for a newbie to the area?

I am really looking forward to this trip and really appreciate any info you can all help with. Thanks in advance.

I’ve got the same trip scheduled in July 16th (ish) except we’ll be sleeping on the boat between Hakai and Shearwater pending weather. We’re driving from Kamloops, glad to give you and update prior to your departure (shoot me a PM so I don’t forget!).

 

[GumbyFromLumby]

I’ve got the same trip scheduled in July 16th (ish) except we’ll be sleeping on the boat between Hakai and Shearwater pending weather. We’re driving from Kamloops, glad to give you and update prior to your departure (shoot me a PM so I don’t forget!).

We will be driving from Vernon. I will send you a pm so you don't forget to give me an update. Would love to know how you guys made out with the whole trip. Enjoy!

 

[Flashman]

Pretty sure there's only one place to launch. It's at the harbour by the ferry terminal. Parking there as well, but not a ton available. It was pay parking. Wasn't a big deal last time I used it, but it's been a long time. I think I talked to someone in the office. Might have even paid when we got back. I can't remember, it was very easy going. As for travel route, I don't think it matters. Summer shouldn't be a big deal. In the winter the big mainland fjord inlets can have some of the worst conditions on the coast, but summer time, just like everywhere else. If you have a bunch of west coast experience you'll be just fine. If you take Gunboat pass, be aware it's tight. Not a problem at all, but you will want to watch the markers and charts closely.

I've never stayed in town. Always either slept in the vehicle near the hill or left Williams Lake early and launched in the afternoon.

You have all the relevant fishing details in the above posts. Prawning can be good, but it's very location specific and like the rest of the coast, totally different after the commercial opening. There are crabs, but I found they are small spots scattered about near the mouths of creeks or time bays. I'd take some traps and cycle them around.

As noted already, keep the tanks full. I got stranded there for a couple days years ago, both Bella and Shearwater were out of gas.

 

[seachicken]

Last time I was in Bella Coola the place to stay was the Bella Coola valley inn but once I got a room at Eagle Nook lodge. Was pretty nice, it's out of town towards Hagensborg, I think I remember decent parking. Might be safer to park the truck and trailer than downtown. Most of my time on the central coast was not spent fishing unfortunately so that's all I got. Been into Shearwater lots but usually just for beer. Gunboat passage is really cool but you need to know how to navigate it and I don't, definitely a shortcut. It's not rocket science though. Sounds like a fantastic trip!

 

[NoTyee4me]

I have just booked a cabin at Whiskey Cove in Shearwater for Aug 4th-8th 2025. I will be travelling with 2 friends from Bella Coola to Whiskey Cove in my 22ft Hewescraft Ocean Pro with 200hp Yamaha. I do have the newest Raymarine electronics with radar and Navionics card. I have read every thread on here about this trip but they all seem a little outdated now and nothing recent. The 3 of us have fished the west coast of Vancouver Island quite a bit but have never been to Shearwater. This will be our first trip out this way and was looking for any advice that would help us. I have some questions that some of you may be able to help with.

Decent motel in Bella Coola for the night before our trip (will have truck and trailer)?
Best place to launch boat early morning in Bella Coola and info on parking truck and trailer for the 5 days.
Best boating route from Bella Coola to Shearwater?
Worth bringing crab and prawn traps this time of year and where to use them?
Any other useful info for a newbie to the area?

I am really looking forward to this trip and really appreciate any info you can all help with. Thanks in advance.

Hey Gumby!! Just did this exact run last summer (x2) . Will be out there again this summer and I am sure will continue to learn the ins and outs. Some things I found useful.
-Leave Bella Coola in the AM before the wind comes up. I can not stress this enough. one of our trips out was extremely rough and we probably should have beached the boat. A learning experience for sure. The route is easy enough to figure out.
-

Bella Coola Cumbrian Inn is where we stayed. They also let us store the trailer. Nice people. very basic rooms but it works.​

-Make sure you show up in Coola on a weekday. Nothing is really open on the Sunday.
-Fill your coolers with chipped ice at the gas station outside of town in BC. Ice is a issue in Shearwater (Tallios gas bar)
-NAVIONICS is worth it.
-Bella Bella will have cheaper fuel but the line ups may be longer.
-Liquor store in Shearwater is large enough for anything
-We will avoid fishing late this year at it really screws things up for the next day.
-Fish processing is an issue. The docks were just getting going again in Shearwater. I am hopeful this year will see more success for them. Great people here as well.
-Bait is really expensive in Shearwater but available.
-We didn't crab as storage/processing of catch is issue. Anything packaged at the docks will be "Sport" packaged. But the packing licence might be different this year.
-The best advice I can give is to leave all expectations for service/timing ECT at home. Go with the flow, be prepared for delays and enjoy the people out there. So much fun once I got my big city mentality out of my head.
-Watch the morning fog in August.... YIKES!! Some tight passages out there.

I will be there in Mid July and then for 2 weeks Aug 4 on.

Feel free to reach out if you would like a conversation.