Fraser River cheat sheet

The giant sturgeon and the salmon runs, the two BC licences and the rules, the rigs and the box of tackle. One page to take to the water.

Fishing Dan · cheat sheet

Fraser River

The giant sturgeon and the salmon runs, the two BC licences and the rules, the rigs and the box of tackle. One page to take to the water.

By Dan · read the full guide

Checked 5 June 2026

fishingdan.com/spots/fraser-river-sturgeon

What's on

White sturgeon all year, best Mar – Nov

Chinook salmon summer – autumn (DFO)

Sockeye / pink salmon cyclic summer (DFO)

Coho / chum salmon autumn (DFO)

Peak In season Slow Closed (law)▎This month

Sturgeon fish all year, best March to November, with peaks April–June and (best) September–November. Salmon layer on top in summer and autumn, set in-season by DFO.

Licences

Two for sturgeon, bought online in WILD: the BC freshwater fishing licence (non-resident annual basic CAD $91.44 before tax, 2026-27) and the White Sturgeon Conservation Licence on top. Add the Province of BC non-tidal salmon conservation stamp only if you keep freshwater salmon. Not the federal DFO tidal licence.

The rules

White sturgeon: catch and release only, no retention, single barbless hook required by law. Salmon: retention set in-season by DFO Pacific and changes with run strength, often non-retention (sockeye especially). Check the current DFO opening before you keep any salmon.

Release / handle with care

Every sturgeon goes back: keep a big one in the water, support it, never lift by the gills or the tail. Wet hands, barbless single hook, clean your kit between waters.

Bank vs boat · season · time → rig

Fish	From the bank	From a boat (guided)	Best time	Rig
White sturgeon (release)	Experienced locals only	Yes, anchored over a deep hole	Mar – Nov; peaks Apr – Jun and (best) Sep – Nov	Sturgeon rig (barbless, bottom)
Chinook salmon	Where access and the run allow	Yes, the bars and channels	Summer/autumn run, when DFO opens it	Drift / bottom-bounce roe, float-and-roe, spinner; trolling rig for trolled work
Sockeye / pink salmon	Where access and the run allow	Yes	Cyclic summer runs, when DFO opens it	Drift / bottom-bounce roe, small bright lure or fly (pinks)
Coho salmon / cutthroat	Yes, lighter tackle	Yes	Autumn (coho); cutthroat in season	Salmon spinner, or streamer rig (fly)

The sturgeon is the trip: a guided, anchored, catch-and-release fishery, best in spring and (best of all) the autumn peak. Salmon are a bonus when DFO has opened a run.

The rigs

Sturgeon rig

Heavy braid → FG-knot shock leader → sliding sinker (110–450 g) → strong leader → single barbless hook, baited with roe, eulachon or lamprey on the bottom

FG knot · snell

Trolling rig

For any trolled salmon work: a lure run at depth behind a moving boat. The Fraser salmon staple is drift / bottom-bounce roe and float-fished roe or a spinner, which the guide rigs

Palomar

Streamer rig

Fly line → leader → a streamer swung or stripped for autumn coho and clear-water cutthroat; a cast-and-worked spinner does the same on spinning gear

Non-slip loop · leader knots on the rig page

What you need

Sturgeon outfit (catch-and-release)

Heavy rod and reel a strong sturgeon rod (about 2.4 – 2.7 m / 8 – 9 ft) and a reel with line capacity and a strong drag

Main line heavy braid, around 36 – 59 kg (≈80 – 130 lb)

Sliding sinker a heavy weight that slides on the main line, 110 – 450 g (4 – 16 oz), to hold bottom in the current

Shock leader strong mono or coated braid, joined to the braid with an FG knot

Barbless single hook a single barbless circle or octopus hook, sized for the bait and the fish (the law)

Bait salmon roe, eulachon or lamprey, to the rules and what is running

Swivels and bead a strong swivel and a buffer bead for the sliding rig

Salmon outfit (only if you fish a run)

Salmon rod and reel a medium salmon rod and a level-wind or spinning reel

Main line braid or mono, 9 – 14 kg class (≈20 – 30 lb)

Leader fluorocarbon, low-visibility

Roe and floats cured salmon roe, floats and bottom-bounce weights

Spinners salmon spinners

Fly outfit (optional) for the swung / stripped streamer

Other kit (both)

Warm, waterproof layers layers for the river, and a buoyancy aid in a boat

Polarised sunglasses to read the water and protect your eyes

Landing net or cradle a large landing net or, for sturgeon, the guide's cradle, and a clean way to handle and release a sturgeon in the water

Camera for the fish in the water

On a guided sturgeon day the boat supplies the heavy outfit and bait, so you bring almost nothing. On your own, a heavy sturgeon outfit, and a light salmon outfit only if you fish a run.

The knots

Knot	Ties	Used by
Palomar	The workhorse, for swivels and braid.	The salmon work
Snell knot	The single barbless hook on the sturgeon leader.	The sturgeon rig
FG knot	The braid-to-mono shock leader on the heavy sturgeon outfit.	The sturgeon rig

Learn the Palomar first. The FG knot ties the braid-to-mono shock leader and the snell sets the single barbless hook. Wet every knot before you pull it tight.

First trip for sturgeon? Book a Chilliwack-area guide. They supply the boat, bait and heavy tackle, know the holes, and tell you which licences you need. See the guide options in the full guide →

Fishing Dan · fishingdan.com/spots/fraser-river-sturgeon · Last checked 5 June 2026 · Confirm licences, seasons and boat hire with the authorities named in the full guide before you travel.

The printable

This one page is the printable I take to the water.

Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and rules, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.

I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.