Steelhead
How to tell a steelhead from the fish it's most often mistaken for, and what you can keep in each BC region.
How to confirm it's a steelhead
- Silver body with a faint pink band (bright red when spawning)
- Black spots on the back and the whole tail
- Large: usually 50 cm or more, in rivers that reach the sea
Could it be something else?
Rainbow trout
Same species as rainbow trout. A steelhead has spent time at sea: silver and big. Check the steelhead rules even if you think it's a rainbow.Chinook salmon
Chinook have black gums and spots on both tail lobes; steelhead have white gums.
Same species as rainbow trout. A steelhead has spent time at sea: silver and big. Check the steelhead rules even if you think it's a rainbow.Chinook salmon
Chinook have black gums and spots on both tail lobes; steelhead have white gums.
Steelhead quotas by region
Each region's quota rule that covers steelhead, in the synopsis' words. Many waters set their own, lower quota or require release; check the water.
Region 1 · Vancouver Island
- Region 1 daily quotas (excluding Haida Gwaii): Trout: 4, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (2 hatchery steelhead over 50 cm allowed), 2 from streams (must be hatchery). You must release all wild steelhead, all wild trout from streams, all char (includes Dolly Varden).
- Haida Gwaii daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 3 Dolly Varden, 2 from streams. You must release trout/char under 30 cm from streams and all wild steelhead.
Region 2 · Lower Mainland
- Region 2 daily quotas: Trout/char: 4, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (2 hatchery steelhead over 50 cm allowed), 2 from streams (must be hatchery), 1 char (bull trout, Dolly Varden, or lake trout), none under 60 cm. You must release wild trout/char from streams, all wild steelhead, hatchery trout/char under 30 cm from streams.
Region 3 · Thompson-Nicola
- Region 3 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 4 from streams, 1 over 50 cm, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) or lake trout, none under 60 cm. You must release all steelhead, bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams Aug 1-Oct 31, lake trout from Oct 15-Jan 31.
Region 4 · Kootenay
- Trout/char release: in streams from Nov 1-Mar 31 (see tables for additional dates or exceptions).
- Region 4 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 rainbow trout or cutthroat trout over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden) of any size.
Region 5 · Cariboo
- Region 5 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 1 Dolly Varden/bull trout, 2 lake trout. You must release all steelhead, lake trout Oct 1-Nov 30, bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams Aug 1-Oct 31.
Region 6 · Skeena
- No fishing: in all rivers and streams for steelhead, May 15-June 15. Exemptions include mainstem portions of the Skeena, Nass, Iskut, Stikine and Taku rivers not currently closed under the existing winter/spring closure.
- Region 6 daily quotas: 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. 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.
Region 7A · Omineca
- Zone A daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 3 lake trout, 1 bull trout (Dolly Varden). Bull trout may only be retained Oct 16-Aug 14, from lakes, 30-50 cm. You must release bull trout from streams all year and from lakes Aug 15-Oct 15; lake trout of any size Sept 15-Oct 31 and under 30 cm all year.
Region 7B · Peace
- Zone B daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 2 from streams, 2 lake trout, 1 bull trout (Oct 16-Aug 14, Liard watershed or specified waters, 30-50 cm). You must release rainbow trout of any size from streams May 1-June 15, lake trout under 30 cm, lake trout of any size Sept 15-Oct 31, bull trout from the Liard watershed Aug 15-Oct 15 and from the Peace watershed all year.
Region 8 · Okanagan
- Region 8 daily quotas: Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm, 4 from streams (only 2 over 30 cm). And you may retain 20 brook trout from streams. And you must release bull trout (Dolly Varden) from streams.
Waters with their own steelhead rules
Chilliwack Lake · Harrison Lake · Fraser River · Pitt Lake · Cultus Lake · Capilano River · Skagit River · Lillooet Lake · Alta Lake · Rice Lake · Thompson River · Nicola River · Coldwater River · Kootenay Lake · Kootenay River · Elk River · St. Mary River · Slocan River · Bull River · Quesnel River · Dragon Lake · Chilko River · Chilcotin River · Dean River · Horsefly River · Nimpo Lake · Bowron Lake · Pine River · Granby River · Idleback Lake