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 I have read every thread on here about this trip but they all seem a little outdated now and nothing recent.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.

 

[Lundforfishing]

I am trying to plan a trip like this for late July or mid August leaving from Lake Country, is the fishing still good mid August? I am new to this have only been to the ocean a few times, I bought a boat 240 ocean pro with all the electronics and 300hp, any tips would be appreciated

 

[Dogbreath]

I am trying to plan a trip like this for late July or mid August leaving from Lake Country, is the fishing still good mid August? I am new to this have only been to the ocean a few times, I bought a boat 240 ocean pro with all the electronics and 300hp, any tips would be appreciated

Coho fishing should be decent to good.

 

[Eden Island]

I made that run twice in a 16' open boat - down Dean and back Burke. Stress the point about watching for westerlies that can blow up early with few spots to bail out. Unless you're willing to take a pounding, plan the trip in segments between safe spots. Leave early - it can start blowing by 10:30. Also the cautions about being aware that services can be patchy - fuel, ice, etc. Amazing area, we went 3 times with that boat.

 

[Aces]

I am trying to plan a trip like this for late July or mid August leaving from Lake Country, is the fishing still good mid August? I am new to this have only been to the ocean a few times, I bought a boat 240 ocean pro with all the electronics and 300hp, any tips would be appreciated

Learn to navigate in dense fog and know what your fuel range is

 

[Sharphooks]

I met a guy In Hakkai last summer who did that trip in a 24 footer with his wife…. He mentioned the importance of making the early morning moves because of those Westerlies. They told a story about getting caught in Burke Channel in a mid afternoon blow a few years ago and learned their lesson about how important timing was …I could see in their eyes that they’d probably come close to buying it during that blow… I also remember reading about a charter captain who got caught with clients off Humchitt Island during a blow and a big tide change …his clients made it to shore but he didn’t…

Crossing Fitzhugh Sound should also get your full respect ,… it can get nasty during a blow and in late July/August you can also enjoy the adventure of pea soup fog mixed with a dose of heavy boat traffic… my least favorite combination

Oh, and let’s not forget the Highway of Death at the end of Hwy 20 as you drop down to Bella Coola… it’s a spectacular drive but a bit of a white-knuckle drop as you make your way down to sea level … make sure your truck and trailer brakes and tires are in tip-top condition… you’ll be playing dodgem’ with RV’s and logging trucks on hair-pin corners cut out of the side of a very steep mountain….

It’s unpaved and get’s seriously rutted out by all the summer traffic…engineering masterpiece but it’ll get your full attention both coming and going

 

[Lundforfishing]

How far of a boat ride is it from Bella coola to Bella Bella? Or is it worth it to just ferry over?

 

[Eden Island]

How far of a boat ride is it from Bella coola to Bella Bella? Or is it worth it to just ferry over?

Ferry is 163 km but included 20 km detour to Ocean Falls. That makes is about 140 km by boat - I've done it twice round trip. You need a plan that involves bailout spots if it starts to blow, and there are only a handful. I went one with boat and trailer by ferry from Hardy to Shearwater where there's a marina and good launch - expensive but takes the stress out for nervous passengers. And your vehicle can be a spare stuff depot.