Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Fraser River fishing report.
We’re sitting under a cool Pacific pattern this morning: overcast skies, light showers in spots from Hope down through Richmond, and calm to light winds, mostly under 10 knots. Temps are hanging in the low to mid-teens, nudging up toward high teens this afternoon. Pressure’s steady, which usually keeps the bite predictable rather than explosive.
Sunrise came early, just after 5 a.m., with sunset expected around 9:15 p.m. First and last light are your prime windows, especially on this kind of grey, stable day. The river is still running high and a bit coloured with snowmelt, so visibility is limited, but that can push fish tight to structure and shorelines.
We’re on a mixed tidal influence in the lower river. Around Steveston and the North/South Arm, look for a decent morning flood building into late morning, then easing into an afternoon ebb. Upstream toward Mission and Fort Langley the tidal push is softer, but you’ll still notice current changes on your line. Plan your sets around the start of the flood and the start of the ebb—those are your turnover bites.
Recent action has been a mixed bag:
• **Sturgeon:** Good numbers reported from the Mission bridge stretch and down toward Maple Ridge. Most fish in the 3–5 foot range, with a few bigger class fish showing. Anglers soaking lamprey, eulachon, and oily salmon scraps on the bottom have been doing well. Heavier gear is a must; the flow is strong.
• **Cutthroat and trout:** The back channels, slough mouths, and confluences with clearer tributaries are giving up coastal cutthroat and rainbows. Small spoons in silver or copper, size 0–2 spinners, and sparse olive or black streamers have been producing. Stick to the edges where cleaner water meets the main flow.
• **Striped coarse species:** Around the lower river docks and marinas, folks have picked up decent numbers of pikeminnow and the odd perch on bits of worm or shrimp. Great option if you’re taking kids out.
Salmon retention is tightly regulated and often closed in the mainstem this time of year, so check the latest Fisheries and Oceans Canada notices before you even think about keeping anything with adipose fins. Most of the action right now is catch-and-release sturgeon and opportunistic trout.
Best offerings today:
• For **sturgeon**: Fresh or fresh-frozen eulachon, lamprey chunks, and oily salmon bellies on heavy circle hooks, fished on the bottom with enough lead to stay pinned in the current.
• For **trout and cutthroat**:
- Hardwear: 1/4-oz silver/blue or copper spoons, small Mepps or Blue Fox-style spinners in silver or gold.
- Flies: Olive woolly buggers, black leech patterns, and small baitfish patterns in white or grey.
- Natural: Single cured roe bags or dew worms drifted close to bottom in the softer seams.
A couple of hot spots to circle on your mental map:
• **Mission to Hatzic stretch:** Classic sturgeon water with deep slots and sweeping bends. Anchor above the deeper holes and let your scent work. When the current change hits, bites often come in flurries.
• **Fort Langley / Bedford Channel area:** Good mix of slower water, current breaks, and back eddies. Solid option for cutthroat and mixed species, and you’re somewhat sheltered from the main push of the river.
Another area worth a look is the **Steveston and South Arm zone** on the change of the tide. Work the edges and current seams with spoons and small plugs, but again, mind the regs; a lot of this is strictly catch-and-release or non-retention right now.
Water safety is huge at these levels: strong flow, cold water, and a lot of debris coming down. Wear a PFD, anchor from the bow only, and give the big boats plenty of room.
Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a Fraser River update.
This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn