Region 6 Fishing Regulations – Skeena

Bait ban: In the Skeena River, including tributaries, and Nass River, including tributaries, year-round.

No fishing: in all rivers and streams for steelhead, May 15-June 15. Exemptions include mainstem portions of the Skeena River, Nass River, Iskut River, Stikine River, and Taku River, not currently closed under the existing winter/spring closure regulation.

No fishing: in any stream in the watersheds of the Skeena River upstream of Cedarvale or Nass River upstream of Kitsault Bridge, Jan 1-June 15 (NOTE: Nass River mainstem is EXEMPT and Skeena River mainstem upstream of Cedarvale is only closed Jan 1-May 31). See tables for other exceptions.

No fishing: in any stream in the Iskut River watershed (upstream of Forest Kerr Canyon), Apr 1-June 30; and in the Fraser River watershed in Region 6, Apr 1-June 30.

Single barbless hook: must be used in all streams of Region 6, all year.

Set lining: is only permitted in the lakes of Region 6. Set lines are restricted to one line with a single hook with a gap of not less than 3 cm (see page 8). All set lines must be marked with the angler’s name, address and telephone number. See “Rules on Bait Usage” (see page 8). Any game fish that you catch other than burbot must be released.

Arctic grayling: 3

Burbot: 5

Inconnu: 1

Kokanee: 10 (none from streams)

Northern pike: 5

Whitefish: 15 (all species combined)

White sturgeon: CLOSED TO ALL FISHING

Trout/char: 5, but not more than

• 1 over 50 cm (quota includes hatchery steelhead)
• 3 Dolly Varden/bull trout and/or lake trout combined
• 1 trout from streams July 1-Oct 31

And you must release:

• all Dolly Varden/bull trout from streams all year
• Trout under 30 cm from any stream
• Trout of any size from streams, Nov 1-June 30
• Lake trout from Fraser and Skeena Watersheds, Sept 15-Nov 30
• all wild steelhead

Possession quotas = 2 daily quotas. (See tables for exceptions)

Please refer to the NOTICE on page 77

Annual quota for all B.C.: 10 hatchery steelhead per licence year.

Steelhead fishing: Your basic licence must be validated with a Steelhead Conservation Surcharge Stamp if you fish for steelhead anywhere in B.C. In addition, a Steelhead Stamp is mandatory when fishing most Classified Waters regardless of the species being angled for. Please see page 6 for details. When you have caught and retained your daily quota of hatchery steelhead from any water, you must stop fishing that water for the remainder of that day.