Fish Of BC

Popular Saltwater Fish of British Columbia

Chinook

Also known as: Kings, Springs or Tyee
B.C. record: 57 kg (125 lbs).
Average size: The Chinook is the largest of the five Pacific Salmon reaching weights of over 90 pounds. Each season, many fish in the 40 to 70 lb range are landed along the B.C. coast.> MORE

Chum

Also known as: dog salmon
Average size: 8-12 pounds, with a big fish weighing in the twenties > MORE

Coho

Also known as: Northern Coho or silver salmon
Average size: 2.3 to 6.8 kilograms (5 to 15 lbs.) in late June or early July
After weeks of feeding, they weigh in at 4.5 to 9 kilograms (10 to 20 lbs.) by late August and into September. > MORE

Pink Salmon

Also known as: “Humpies” due to the large hump that male pink salmon develop on their backs as they approach spawning.
Record size: The record pink salmon weighed in at 13 pounds 1 oz
Average size: The smallest and most abundant of Pacific salmon; average weight is 1.5 – 3 kg (3 to 7 lbs) > MORE

Sockeye Salmon

Also known as: Red Salmon or Kokanee when they are landlocked (see the freshwater Fish of B.C. webpage for more information on Kokanee)
Record: 15 lbs 3 oz.
Average size: 2.2 – 3 kg (5 to 7 lbs), occasionally reaching 6.3 kg (14 lbs) > MORE

Lingcod

Average size: 3.5 – 7 kg (8 – 15 lbs), Up to 45 kg (100 lbs)
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Pacific Halibut

Average size: 9 – 18 kg (20 – 40 lbs), Up to 180 kg (400 lbs!)
Generally, any Halibut over 71 kg will be a female carrying millions of eggs; many anglers choose to release these females and keep the smaller males because of their superior flavour.
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Black Rockfish

Also known as: Black Sea Bass
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Popular Freshwater Fish of British Columbia

Rainbow Trout

Also known as: Kamloops trout, Gerrard trout and silver trout
B.C. record: almost 24 kg (52.8 lbs) came from Jewel Lake.
Average size: 30 – 75 cm (11.8 – 29.5 in), 1 – 7 kg (2.2 – 15.4 lbs) > MORE INFO

Steelhead Trout

Also known as: Steelhead-salmon, salmon-trout and hardhead
B.C. record: The largest steelhead ever caught had an estimated weight of well over 20 kg (44 lbs).
Average size: 50 – 85 cm (19.7 – 33.5 in), 1.4 – 6.8 kg (3.1 – 15 lbs) > MORE INFO

Coastal Cutthroat Trout

Also known as: Yellowbellies, cutties, cutts, harvest trout and sea run cutthroat
Average size: Resident – 40 cm (16 in), 1.0 kg (2.2lbs). Sea-run – 45 cm (18 in), 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)
> MORE INFO

Westslope Cutthroat Trout

Westslope Cutthroat Trout Also known as: Cutthroat
B.C. record: Westslope cutthroat trout can attain lengths of over 50 cm (19.7 in) in some of the larger, more productive rivers in the East Kootenays.
Average size: 30 – 35 cm (11.8 – 13.8 in), 0.3 – 0.5 kg (0.7 – 1.1 lbs)
> MORE INFO

Kokanee

Also known as: Kickininee, little redfish, silver trout, landlocked sockeye and blueback
B.C. record: The present world record of 4.2 kg (9.2 lbs) was caught in Okanagan Lake (Region 8) in 1988.
Average size: 20 – 25 cm (8 - 10 in), 0.1 – 0.2 kg (0.2 – 0.4 lbs)
> MORE INFO

White Sturgeon

Average size: Up to 6 metres long (19.69 ft), Up to 600 kg (1,320 lbs)
The largest sturgeon species in North America, and the largest freshwater fish species in North America!
> MORE INFO

B.C. Freshwater Fish Factsheets (click on PDF links)

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