Squamish River Pink Salmon Timetable

The Squamish area is one of my favorite places to fish, surrounded by mountains, tidal river and beautiful green colored tributaries it really is an outdoor enthusiasts paradise. Each odd year thousands of Pink Salmon make their way into the Squamish River area and tributaries (Mamquam and Cheakamus Rivers) to spawn. This cycle begins around mid July and will go until mid September. The best fishing time is usually mid/late August.

Usually, I’m fishing from the beaches near the Squamish in mid July to early August time frame, then turn my attention to the rivers mid August. Although this Pink Salmon cycle seemed later than usual as beach fishing cycle was not as productive as in previous years. That said, I did much better for Pinks in the rivers this year! For more information on beach salmon fishing see my last journal Pink Salmon Beach Fishing at Furry Creek.

Squamish River & Tributaries Fishing Locations

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Mamquam Confluence

The confluence between the Squamish River and Mamquam River.

CN Railway Bridge over Mamquam River

This is the train bridge over the Mamquam that’s a few hundred yards above the Squamish River confluence. This bridge is the fishing boundary for the Mamquam river.

Fishermans Park

This is a popular fishing location on the Squamish river and rightfully so as it holds a long run that holds a lot of fish before they move up river. Additionally in this area, from November to January you’ll have an excellent opportunity to view hundreds (sometimes) thousands of Eagles! The eagle viewing peak is typically mid-December to mid-January. For more information on Eagle viewing click here.

Mouth of the Cheakamus River

The Cheakamus River flows into the Squamish River. At the mouth and immediately below holds some excellent fishing runs.

Powerline at 9 mile

The powerline at 9 mile on the Squamish river is not a fishing location per say but is often used as a fishing boundary marker by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This boundary is often focused on specific species during sensitive spawning times throughout the year. I’ve often read/heard of confusion on this exact location so have included it on this map.

River Float Fishing Tackle and Setup

I kept it fairly simple in this video with my river setup using only pink jigs with a little UV sparkle under a float. Pink spoons and spinners also work great in the river (casting or drifting under a float). As for my rod and reel setup I used my standard salmon float setup. To be honest this setup is a little overkill for these smaller salmon but it’s what I use for all my Salmon river trips. Additionally, this setup will ensure I can handle any other bycatches like Chinook or Steelhead. See specific tackle details below.

Shimano Convergence Casting Rod (10’6 ft)

C3 6500 Abu Garcia level-wind Reel

Maxima Ultragreen – Mainline (15 lb)

Seaguar Blue Label – Leader (8 lb – 10 lb)

Bent Rods UV Pink Sparkler Jig

Additional Lures & Baits used

  • Gibbs Crocs
  • Trophy Spoons
  • Bluefox Spinners

Furry Creek Salmon Beach Fishing

If you want to see my Furry Creek beach salmon fishing that was a bit of a bust this year, check out this previous journal: Pink Salmon Beach Fishing at Furry Creek. This journal goes over a number of early trips I did in mid-late July in 2017. It also provides additional Furry Creek fishing information (map locations), lures, etc.

 

Successful Beach Fishing Trips

If you want to see what a successful fishing day looks like for Pink & Coho Salmon from the Beach, check out my previous journal: Pink Season & Beach Coho. This journal goes over 4 successful fishing trips on July 23, 25, August 6 & 9 in 2015.

 

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