January is a tough month in BC for fishing, temperatures are cold, rivers are low and options are definitely limited. If you’re looking for a winter steelhead trip then there are some options, mainly on Vancouver Island. Close to Vancouver there are some guided fishing options as well.

The best place for a January fishing trip in BC is in the area between Vancouver and Whistler. This will give you the opportunity at our two most popular Winter fishing trips; salmon fishing and trout fishing. The salmon fishing near Vancouver is pretty good through the Winter months, our guided charters offer the opportunity at fishing for Chinook (King) Salmon and dropping traps for prawns and crabs! January salmon fishing is easy, our Vancouver Winter salmon fishing charters leave right from downtown Vancouver! The other easy option for a Winter fishing trip is one of our guided fly fishing days. We run these trips 12 months a year and in January we have the Cheakamus and Squamish rivers to fish for bull and rainbow trout. The fishing is very dependent on river conditions, both heights and temperatures, but on milder days we can have some really fun times for healthy wild trout. If you’re hungry for some steelhead fishing close to Vancouver, the Vedder River east of Vancouver will be your best bet for some January fishing.

For serious steelhead anglers there are some options in January, mainly on Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island does have some healthy runs of Winter steelhead and in some rivers the fishing can be good in January. The Cowichan River offers some good Winter fishing as does the rivers on northern Vancouver Island. Remember, conditions for these trips are key. If conditions are really cold fish become lethargic and river levels are low. You want to time your trip for some mild weather and some rising river conditions. To learn more about this fishery you can visit Vancouver Island Steelhead page.