September 2026 Tofino fishing report - Sablefish, Coho, Halibut, Tuna

September is one of our favourite months to fish Tofino. Coho salmon provide excellent light-tackle action in Clayoquot Sound, halibut fishing remains strong offshore, and good weather opens the door to some unique fishing at ClayoquotCanyon, bottomfish and Albacore tuna

September has always been a month with plenty of options around Tofino. The pace of summer starts to ease off, but there is still a lot happening on the water. This year we have excellent Coho fishing close to home, strong halibut fishing offshore, and some particularly good sablefish fishing out at Clayoquot Canyon.

Pick the right weather day and we can head a long way offshore. Or stay closer to home, break out the light gear and chase Coho around the protected waters of Clayoquot Sound. Both make for a pretty good September day.

Coho Salmon in Clayoquot Sound

Coho, or silver salmon, are one of the highlights of September fishing around Tofino.

These fish can stick around after many of the Chinook have begun moving into their home rivers, feeding in the shallow waters, sandbars and current lines of Clayoquot Sound. They’re aggressive fish and a lot of fun on lighter tackle.

Depending on where the fish are holding, we can target Coho by trolling conventional gear, fishing bucktail flies or casting. Fly fishing is a particularly fun option when conditions line up. There’s something pretty hard to beat about working the edges of the kelp or a shallow sandbar with light gear and hooking an aggressive September Coho.

It’s also a good option for anglers who aren’t necessarily looking for a long offshore day. We can fish productive water while enjoying the protected scenery and wildlife of Clayoquot Sound.

Halibut Limit Increased to Two Per Day

Halibut fishing continues to be strong on the offshore grounds west of Tofino, and September brings some good news for anglers.

Effective September 1, DFO increased the recreational daily halibut limit to two halibut per angler per day, with a possession limit of two. The increased daily limit is currently scheduled to remain in place through December 31, 2026.

That makes September an especially good time for a full-day trip. We can spend time on productive halibut grounds while also looking for lingcod and rockfish, or combine halibut with salmon fishing depending on conditions and what your crew wants to do.

Excellent Sablefish Fishing at Clayoquot Canyon

One of the most interesting fisheries developing off Tofino is our deep-water sablefish fishery.

We’ve had excellent sablefish — or black cod — fishing at Clayoquot Canyon. On calm days we can make the run offshore to the edge of the continental shelf and fish water in the 500- to 700-foot range with electric reels.

Sablefish are outstanding table fare, and fishing the canyon is a completely different experience from our inshore salmon trips. Lingcod, rockfish and the occasional halibut can also be part of the mix.

And that’s not necessarily the only reason to head to the canyon.

Tuna and Bottomfish on the Same Offshore Adventure

September remains prime time to watch the offshore conditions for Albacore tuna.

Warm blue water pushes north toward the deep-water canyons off Tofino during late summer, and when the water, weather and fish all line up, we can make the run offshore in search of Albacore.

One of the great opportunities this September is the potential to combine tuna and canyon bottomfishing on the same trip. We can target Albacore in the blue water and also try dropping deep for sablefish and other bottomfish at the canyon.

These trips are always weather dependent. We need a good offshore forecast, and tuna fishing depends on where the warm water and fish are sitting. But when everything comes together, it’s a pretty unique day of fishing off the west coast of Vancouver Island.

September Gives Us Options

That’s really what we like about September: options.

Coho give us a great light-tackle fishery closer to Tofino. Halibut fishing remains strong offshore, with the added benefit of the increased two-fish daily limit. And when we get one of those calm September weather windows, Clayoquot Canyon gives us the chance to chase Albacore tuna, sablefish and bottomfish in a single offshore adventure.

Whether you’d like to fly fish for Coho in Clayoquot Sound, stock the freezer with halibut, or make a full-day run for the canyon, we’ll build the day around the weather, fishing conditions and your crew.

Check our September availability and book your Tofino fishing charter with Tofino Fish Guides, "Book Now" button top right corner.