best time for wild steelhead

The best and most beautiful period for the wild steelhead.........

Of course Canada, and more specific British Columbia, is very beautiful throughout the entire year. But I experienced that September and October are the best time for the wild steelhead. Especially for larger fish that will enter the Kispiox. In this period you will find hardly any chinook in the northern rivers. Sockeye has spawned and there are some spawning chum en pink salmon left. The coho however, just started their migration to the spawning grounds and so are the steelhead! The colour of the forest is changing. Slowly the green disappears and brown and orange colours come up. The leaves are falling down. September in Northern British Columbia often has so called Indian summers. This means nice clear weather during daytime with temperatures up to 18-19 degrees Centigrade and some light frost during the cold bright nights.

The bears are well fed with wild potatoes and berries and of course all salmon they could catch. Cubs are walking away from their mother. Take extremely good care never, never to stand between a mother and her cub! Most rivers are fed with melting waters from glaciers and snow in the mountains. The first snow in the valley can arrive already early in October. Most rivers are still very good fishable. Unfortunately we cannot control everything so rivers can be high and coloured. Or low and crystal clear. Sometimes you are a little early and sometimes a little late. There are so many things that are important. Fortunately there are so may rivers and some of them are fed by a lake so they don't have a fluctuating water level or sudden change of colour. One thing is for sure, everything will be done to make sure that everybody will catch steelhead or salmon!

Left an overview of the average temperatures in Smithers. In September with a maximum of 16 degrees Centigrade and a minimum of 10, although an Indian Summer with a maximum of 18 and a minimum around zero is not unusual!

On the right an overview about the division between sunshine, clouds and rain. So you can expect a nearly 50% chance on sunshine, 35% on a cloudy day and 15% on a rainy day in September. Of course these overviews are an average of several years!!