Quebec

York River

Quebec·Gaspé Peninsula·48.80° N, 64.95° W

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Early Atlantic salmon	May–Jun	Jun	From May
Summer Atlantic salmon	Jul–Sep	Jul	From Jul

Run timing is a guide, and seasons, closures and limits change. Check the Gouvernement du Québec: salmon fishing rules and the 2026 season terms (news release, March 12, 2026). Seasons and managers from the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique. before you fish.

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Solunar · next 7 days

About York River

The York rises in the Notre-Dame Mountains and runs 98 km through mostly empty country to Gaspé Bay. Its water holds a steady emerald colour, the current is quick, and salmon top 15 kg. The FQSA counts 70 pools in 11 sectors, seven by draw and four public. The pools nearest the sea are the easiest to reach, and fresh salmon rest in them before moving up.

It is a wading river. Only the lower part of sector 4 calls for a canoe, in high water. The Société de gestion des rivières de Gaspé also runs the Dartmouth and the Saint-Jean, Gaspé's other two salmon rivers. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Read the gauge below Dinner Island Brook.

Species

Atlantic Salmon
Primary · May-Jul · Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Wild Atlantic salmon. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Fly only.
Brook Trout
Present · Jun-Sep · 15-30 cm
Brook trout share the river. Check the zone's trout rules and the manager's sector rules.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Atlantic Salmon	Primary	May-Jul	Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Brook Trout	Present	Jun-Sep	15-30 cm

Sections

2 reaches

Above Les Étroits

WadeSalmon

The York above Les Étroits, through uninhabited country and the draw sectors. Wading only, except the lower part of sector 4 in high water, when a canoe is better.

Best for: Atlantic salmon in remote draw sectors

Gaspé to Les Étroits

WadeSalmon

The lower York from the head of Gaspé Bay up past the gauge to Les Étroits. The first pools upstream are where fresh salmon stop first, and the easiest to reach.

Best for: Fresh Atlantic salmon in the lower pools

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 3.7–18 m³/s
Blow-out: >45 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 9–18°C

Best seasons

The season runs May 25 to September 30. Salmon move on a rise and fish best as the river drops back and clears. The run is early, so June is prime. In a hot, dry spell the river runs low and warm, so fish the cool hours.

Regulations

Season May 25 to September 30. Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day. Fly only. Each sector needs a day access right from Société de gestion des rivières de Gaspé, and restricted sectors go by draw.

Licence: A Quebec Atlantic salmon fishing licence, for residents or non-residents, plus a day access right for the sector you fish, bought from the river's manager. Restricted sectors are allocated in the manager's November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right.
Tags: No salmon may be kept here in 2026, so no tag is used. A kept salmon elsewhere is tagged at once with the licence's tag and registered within 48 hours, with a season limit of four.

Salmon season: May 25 to September 30 (FQSA river page; check the manager's dates for each sector).
Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day.
In salmon rivers, fishing is generally fly only.
For other species in a salmon river: no fishing from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise, none from a bridge over the river or its estuary, and none within 23 m below a fishway or a falls built for fish to pass.
Every sector needs a day access right from the river's manager. Rules can differ by sector, so check the manager's sector rules before you fish.

Quebec rivers are run sector by sector by their manager, under the province's rules. The 2026 terms carry over the 2025 rules, and the ministry can change them in season if the runs are weak. Quebec's warm-water closures do not list this river in 2026.

Source: Gouvernement du Québec: salmon fishing rules and the 2026 season terms (news release, March 12, 2026). Seasons and managers from the Fédération québécoise pour le saumon atlantique.. Regulations change annually. Verify before fishing.

Getting there

Gaspé, QC

From the town of Gaspé, at the head of Gaspé Bay. Gaspé has an airport.

Camping: Lodging in Gaspé, and outfitters on the river. The FQSA river page lists them.

Société de gestion des rivières de Gaspé runs the river and sells the day access rights: https://saumongaspe.com/. Restricted sectors are allocated in the November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right. Outfitters on the river sell their own packages.

York River

Quebec·Gaspé Peninsula·48.80° N, 64.95° W

Log an outing

Steelhead & salmon

Run	Months	Peak	Now
Early Atlantic salmon	May–Jun	Jun	From May
Summer Atlantic salmon	Jul–Sep	Jul	From Jul

Fishing: Good
Flow: 3m³/s; Steady; York River below Dinner Island Brook
Water temp: —

Flow

3m³/s

Steady

York River below Dinner Island Brook

Water temp

—

Normal range

—

Weather

1°C

Mostly Cloudy

See the full conditions on the York 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 York River

Species

Atlantic Salmon
Primary · May-Jul · Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Wild Atlantic salmon. Every salmon goes back in 2026, two a day at most. Fly only.
Brook Trout
Present · Jun-Sep · 15-30 cm
Brook trout share the river. Check the zone's trout rules and the manager's sector rules.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size
Atlantic Salmon	Primary	May-Jul	Grilse 30-63 cm, salmon 63-100 cm+
Brook Trout	Present	Jun-Sep	15-30 cm

Sections

2 reaches

Above Les Étroits

WadeSalmon

The York above Les Étroits, through uninhabited country and the draw sectors. Wading only, except the lower part of sector 4 in high water, when a canoe is better.

Best for: Atlantic salmon in remote draw sectors

Gaspé to Les Étroits

WadeSalmon

The lower York from the head of Gaspé Bay up past the gauge to Les Étroits. The first pools upstream are where fresh salmon stop first, and the easiest to reach.

Best for: Fresh Atlantic salmon in the lower pools

At a glance

Ideal wading flow: 3.7–18 m³/s
Blow-out: >45 m³/s
Ideal water temp: 9–18°C

Best seasons

Regulations

Licence: A Quebec Atlantic salmon fishing licence, for residents or non-residents, plus a day access right for the sector you fish, bought from the river's manager. Restricted sectors are allocated in the manager's November 1 draw and in 48-hour draws in season. Public sectors are open to anyone with an access right.
Tags: No salmon may be kept here in 2026, so no tag is used. A kept salmon elsewhere is tagged at once with the licence's tag and registered within 48 hours, with a season limit of four.

Salmon season: May 25 to September 30 (FQSA river page; check the manager's dates for each sector).
Every salmon caught is released in 2026. The catch-and-release quota is two salmon a day.
In salmon rivers, fishing is generally fly only.
For other species in a salmon river: no fishing from an hour after sunset to an hour before sunrise, none from a bridge over the river or its estuary, and none within 23 m below a fishway or a falls built for fish to pass.
Every sector needs a day access right from the river's manager. Rules can differ by sector, so check the manager's sector rules before you fish.

Getting there

Gaspé, QC

From the town of Gaspé, at the head of Gaspé Bay. Gaspé has an airport.

Camping: Lodging in Gaspé, and outfitters on the river. The FQSA river page lists them.

York River

Steelhead & salmon

See the full conditions on the York River

About York River

Species

Sections

Above Les Étroits

Gaspé to Les Étroits

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the York River

More in Quebec

Gaspé Peninsula

Bonaventure River

Cascapédia River

Matapédia River

Petite Cascapédia River

Restigouche River

Sainte-Anne River

Other regions

Godbout River

Matane River

Moisie River

Sainte-Marguerite River

York River

Steelhead & salmon

See the full conditions on the York River

About York River

Species

Sections

Above Les Étroits

Gaspé to Les Étroits

Fishing reports

Read the fishing reports for the York River

More in Quebec

Gaspé Peninsula

Bonaventure River

Cascapédia River

Matapédia River

Petite Cascapédia River

Restigouche River

Sainte-Anne River

Other regions

Godbout River

Matane River

Moisie River

Sainte-Marguerite River

Fishing conditions

Fishing conditions