British Columbia

Stamp River

British Columbia·Vancouver Island·49.32° N, 124.93° W

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Fall Chinook	Aug–Nov	Sep–Oct	In
Coho	Sep–Dec	Oct	In
Winter steelhead	Dec–Mar	Jan–Feb	From Dec
Summer steelhead	Jun–Oct	Jul–Aug	From Jun
Sockeye	Jun–Jul	Jul	From Jun

Run timing is a guide, and seasons, closures and limits change. Check the BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025–2027, Region 1 (Vancouver Island), and DFO's Region 1 non-tidal salmon limits before you fish.

See the full conditions on the Stamp River

Flow and temperature charts for every station, the weather, and the days ahead. Free, with an email.

A free account also gets you

5-day Fish Index forecastSee how each of the next 5 days rates on every river and lake, from the flow or wind, water temperature, weather and moon forecasts.
A dashboard for your watersSave your rivers and lakes and compare them on one board, with the last week and the days ahead.
A logbook that fills in the conditionsLog outings and trips with photos, even with no signal in the app. Troutline adds the flow, water temperature and weather for each day.
Your angler profileSee other anglers' public outings, and share yours.

Already have an account?

Want history, unlimited alerts and more? , with the first 14 days free for new members.

Solunar · next 7 days

About Stamp River

The Stamp runs about 20 km from the dam at Great Central Lake to the Sproat River, where the two become the Somass, which reaches tidewater at the Paper Mill Dam in Port Alberni. DFO's Robertson Creek Hatchery, near the lake outlet, raises large numbers of chinook and coho, and FFSBC releases steelhead smolts into the Somass, so the system has fish in it most months. Wild steelhead go back, and hatchery fish carry a clipped adipose fin.

Summer steelhead come from June into the fall and hold in the canyon pools between the Ash River and Stamp Falls. Winter steelhead come from December to March. Chinook and coho open on August 25, with the big push in September and October. Read the Somass gauge: summer flows sit near 30 to 50 m³/s, the river fishes well up to about 150, and a big fall storm can push it past 400. The gauge reads the Stamp and the Sproat together, so the Stamp alone runs lower.

Stamp Falls is closed from 200 m above to 500 m below the falls from June 15 to November 15, while salmon stack up below the fish ladder. The river above the Ash is closed January 1 to April 30. Bait is banned above Girl Guide Falls all year, and below it from June 1 to August 24. Stamp River Provincial Park has a campground and trails to the falls. The river is busy in September and October, most of all on the Somass.

Species

Steelhead (summer-run)
Primary · Jun-Oct · 55-80 cm
Hold in the canyon pools between the Ash River and Stamp Falls. Keep a hatchery fish with a clipped adipose fin if you like. Release every wild steelhead.
Winter Steelhead
Common · Dec-Mar · 60-85 cm
Fished from the Ash River down to the Somass, most of all below Stamp Falls. Keep a hatchery fish with a clipped adipose fin if you like. Release every wild steelhead.
Chinook Salmon (fall run)
Common · Sep-Oct · 70-100 cm
The Robertson Creek Hatchery run. 2 a day from August 25 to December 31, and only 1 over 77 cm.
Coho Salmon
Common · Sep-Nov · 50-70 cm
Open from August 25. DFO allows hatchery-marked coho only until September 18 and sets later limits by notice, so check before you keep one.
Sockeye Salmon
Present · Jun-Jul · 50-65 cm
A big run to Great Central and Sproat lakes. The only freshwater opening is a short reach of the Somass in Somass Park, 1 a day, May 1 to July 23.
Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Present · Sep-Apr · 25-45 cm
Sea-run cutthroat behind the salmon in the Somass and lower Stamp. Release wild trout.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Steelhead (summer-run)	Primary	Jun-Oct	55-80 cm
Winter Steelhead	Common	Dec-Mar	60-85 cm
Chinook Salmon (fall run)	Common	Sep-Oct	70-100 cm
Coho Salmon	Common	Sep-Nov	50-70 cm
Sockeye Salmon	Present	Jun-Jul	50-65 cm
Coastal Cutthroat Trout	Present	Sep-Apr	25-45 cm

Sections

4 reaches

Great Central Lake to the Ash

WadeSteelhead · Salmon

The top of the Stamp, from below the Great Central Lake dam past the Robertson Creek Hatchery to the Ash River confluence. Clear lake water and a bait ban all year. Closed January 1 to April 30.

Best for: Summer steelhead from June into the fall, and coho and chinook near the hatchery late in the season. Release every wild steelhead.

Ash River to Stamp Falls

WadeSteelhead

From the Ash confluence down through the canyon to Stamp Falls in Stamp River Provincial Park. Deep pools and pocket water, much of it reached by trails from the park. No fishing from 200 m above to 500 m below the falls, June 15 to November 15.

Best for: Summer steelhead in the canyon pools from June to October, and winter steelhead from December to March. Release every wild steelhead.

Stamp Falls to the Somass

Wade & FloatSteelhead · Salmon

Below Stamp Falls the river opens up past Beaver Creek and Girl Guide Falls to the Sproat confluence, where it becomes the Somass. Long runs and bars, fished from the bank and by drift boat.

Best for: Winter steelhead from December to March, and chinook and coho from late August. Hatchery steelhead may be kept, two a day.

Somass River

Wade & FloatSteelhead · Salmon

The short Somass, from the Stamp and Sproat confluence down to the tidal line at the Paper Mill Dam in Port Alberni. Wide and slow, and busy in the fall. No fishing from the Paper Mill Dam to about 1 km upstream, August 25 to November 15.

Best for: Chinook and coho from late August into the winter, and winter steelhead on their way up to the Stamp.

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 30–150 m³/s
Blow-out: >400 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 4–16°C

Best seasons

June to October for summer steelhead in the canyon, and December to March for winter steelhead lower down. Chinook and coho from late August into November. Read the Somass gauge: the river fishes well between about 30 and 150 m³/s, and over about 400 it is blown out.

Regulations

Release all wild steelhead and wild trout. No fishing at Stamp Falls June 15 to November 15, or above the Ash River January 1 to April 30. Bait ban all year above Girl Guide Falls, and below it June 1 to August 24. Single barbless hook. Chinook and coho open from August 25 under DFO limits.

Stamp River: no fishing from the signs 200 m above to 500 m below Stamp Falls, June 15 to November 15.
No fishing from the Ash River confluence up to the Great Central Lake dam, January 1 to April 30.
Bait ban all year above the signs at Girl Guide Falls (about 250 m above Beaver Creek), and below them June 1 to August 24.
Somass River: no fishing from the tidal boundary at the Paper Mill Dam to the signs about 1 km upstream, August 25 to November 15. Bait ban June 1 to August 24.
Engine power limit of 7.5 kW (10 hp) on the Somass and on parts of the Stamp.
Region 1 quota: trout 4 a day, but no more than 2 from streams (hatchery only) and 1 over 50 cm (2 hatchery steelhead over 50 cm allowed). Release all wild steelhead, all wild trout from streams and all char.
Single barbless hook in all Region 1 streams, all year.
A Steelhead Conservation Surcharge Stamp is needed to fish for steelhead anywhere in BC.
Salmon (DFO): chinook 2 a day, only 1 over 77 cm, August 25 to December 31. Coho 2 a day from August 25: hatchery-marked only until September 18, and wild coho allowed later under DFO notices. Sockeye 1 a day in Somass Park only, May 1 to July 23, 5 am to 10 pm.
No salmon or other fish near Robertson Creek Hatchery: no fishing at the hatchery lagoon August 25 to October 31, or from the power line down to the lagoon inlet October 1 to 14.
Salmon in fresh water are managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada: you need a Non-Tidal Salmon Conservation Stamp to keep one, and DFO sets openings and quotas in fishery notices that change through the season.

Steelhead and salmon returns swing widely from year to year, and DFO changes salmon openings in season. Check the in-season changes on the BC freshwater fishing regulations page and DFO's non-tidal salmon page for the region before every trip. Licences are sold through the province's WILD licensing system.

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025–2027, Region 1 (Vancouver Island), and DFO's Region 1 non-tidal salmon limits. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Port Alberni, BC

About 1 hr from Nanaimo, 2.5 hrs from Victoria

Camping: Stamp River Provincial Park has a campground near the falls. Hotels and full services in Port Alberni.

Roads north of Port Alberni reach Stamp River Provincial Park, where trails follow the river to the falls and the fish ladder. The canyon above the falls is steep. Paper Mill Dam Park in Port Alberni reaches the bottom of the Somass.

Stamp River

British Columbia·Vancouver Island·49.32° N, 124.93° W

Log an outing

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Fall Chinook	Aug–Nov	Sep–Oct	In
Coho	Sep–Dec	Oct	In
Winter steelhead	Dec–Mar	Jan–Feb	From Dec
Summer steelhead	Jun–Oct	Jul–Aug	From Jun
Sockeye	Jun–Jul	Jul	From Jun

Fishing: Good
Flow: 277m³/s; Rising · normal; Somass River near Alberni
Water temp: 12.1°C; Somass River near Alberni

What: 150 to 200 mm of rain, possibly exceeding 250 mm locally.

Rainfall warning · Inland Vancouver Island · through Thu 12:00 PM · Environment and Climate Change Canada

What this means

A warning is Environment Canada's most urgent level. The event is happening or about to happen in this area.

Very heavy rain is occurring.

Where: West and Inland Vancouver Island.

When: Now through Thursday morning.

Remarks: A very robust frontal system continues impacting Vancouver Island. Rainfall rates will intensify this evening and persist for much of Wednesday, reaching up to 10 to 15 mm/h, possibly up to 20 mm/h, at times.

Precipitation rates will ease Wednesday afternoon but periods of light to moderate rain will continue on Thursday and another weather system will approach the island on Friday.

Localized flooding is likely. Some roads may become impassable. Visibility will likely be suddenly reduced at times. Landslides may occur in vulnerable areas such as steep slopes, deforested areas or recent burn scars.

Stay away from rivers, creeks and culverts.

Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on social media using #BCStorm.

Read the full product from Environment and Climate Change Canada

Flow

277m³/s

Rising ·

Somass River near Alberni

Water temp

12.1°C

Somass River near Alberni

Normal range

123–306m³/s

Median 156 m³/s

Weather

13°C

Rain