Coquihalla River

The Coquihalla comes down from the Cascades beside the Coquihalla Highway and meets the Fraser at Hope. Just above town it squeezes through the Coquihalla Canyon, where the old Kettle Valley Railway runs through the Othello Tunnels. The river is cold and clear, and it carries a small run of wild summer steelhead that the rules protect closely.

The fishing follows the tunnels. Above them the river is fly fishing only from July 1 to October 31 and closed the rest of the year, and that is the summer steelhead season, in canyon pools of very clear water. Below them it is closed from April 1 to October 31, and open from November to March for catch and release only, with a bait ban. The canyon at the tunnels, about 700 m, is closed all year. Read the gauge above Alexander Creek: in August and September the river runs near 5 to 15 m³/s, it fishes well up to about 30, and over about 80 it is blown out. Snowmelt peaks in May and June.

Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park has a trail through the tunnels, busy with walkers in summer. There is no salmon fishing on the Coquihalla. Hope has motels, campgrounds and services, and the river is about two hours from Vancouver.