I'm thinking of heading to Alberni Inlet in August to fish for salmon. Has anyone else been there? Any suggestions on when and where to fish? Camp? Is it worth the trip?

I've never had much luck in Alberni Inlet itself, but we have done very good in Barkley Sound which Alberni Inlet runs in to. One time we stayed at China Creek on the inlet and found ourselves motoring all the way down the inlet into the sound to fish. My suggestion is to stay at Bamfield. It's a small fishing town on Barkley Sound with a lot of fishing access. Hawkeye Marine is a good resort as is Poet Nook.

I've fished Barkley Sound a bunch, 1-2 weeks per year for the last ten years. Send me an email with the information you need and I'll be happy to respond.

regards.....MikeT

I started fishing the Port Alberni area 17 years ago and caught my first big fish there, a 28 lb king. Port Alberni is a terminal fishery and while there may be a lot of fish concentrated there depending on weather, you have to put in the time waiting for the bite to come on. It can get fairly crowded there, particularly on the weekends. China Creek is provincial campground located close to P.A.and is a nice clean facility. August is prime time so you will need to make a reservation soon. Expect to have raft up at the dock to 3 boats deep at times.
I prefer to fish out of Bamfield now. It is a small village on the southeast side of Barkley Sound. I normally stay at the Bamfield Trails Motel which is very reasonable. There are numerous fishing spots for salmon so you don't see any crowds. There is good halibut fishing about 7 miles offshore and good rock fish areas throughout the sound. The salmon average about about 22 lbs but there are many over 30 lbs too.
If you plan on going there, contact me and I'll fill you in on the specific spots to fish.
Deepwater

Deepwater,

I'm curious: Did you fish up there last year? A group of us have been fishing out of Ucluelet for probably 20 years but skipped last August because of the conservation corridor BC Fisheries instituted, prohibiting fishing within (I think) two miles of the coast. That essentially defeated our purpose, since most of our traditional spots are a stone's throw from shore. Not sure if those regs were in effect down around Bamfield, although I was under the impression they affected the entire west side of Vancouver Island. Haven't heard if this was going to be the case again this year; if so we might be considering a change in chinook-fishing destination.

Thanks guys. I will send you an email to get the specifics. I think you've saved me from making a mistake. That's too far to go to pick the wrong spot to fish!