2014 West Coast King Salmon Forecast!

Chinook Forecast 2014
The forecast for the 2014 Columbia River return is higher than 2013 was. In 2013 the Bonneville dam estimated more than 1.1 million Chinook went through and this is the highest number of Chinook since 1938 when the Bonneville dam started recording! Normal years have seen returns in the 500,000 to 800,00 mark the past decade, so this is a huge jump. Forecasting is a hard game and there are many variables, but right now we are expecting a very strong run again. This means we will have great Chinook fishing through June and July with lots of Columbia Chinook around the Barkley Sound.
The Chinook return forecasted for Southern BC rivers and the Fraser river are very good which means we should have great August and early September fishing for Chinook in the 15-40lb range with the odd 50lb plus Chinook. The Canadian forecast is often quite conservative, so we are looking forward to a good August which means the reels will be screaming and there will be lots of high fives!
The Bonneville Dam is the lowest dam on the Columbia River and the dam where the greatest number of Chinook salmon will pass through.

Year ▴	StartDate	EndDate	Dam	ChinookAdult	ChinookJack
2013	1/1/2013	11/12/2013	BON	1129149	171005
2012	1/1/2012	12/31/2012	BON	589937	143993
2011	1/1/2011	12/31/2011	BON	677171	186030
2010	1/1/2010	12/31/2010	BON	809799	92641
2009	1/1/2009	12/31/2009	BON	480284	218837
2008	1/1/2008	12/31/2008	BON	518942	68486
2007	1/1/2007	12/31/2007	BON	275954	83721
2006	1/1/2006	12/31/2006	BON	493708	32830
2005	1/1/2005	12/31/2005	BON	570413	30002
2004	1/1/2004	12/31/2004	BON	846026	60256
2003	1/1/2003	12/31/2003	BON	921314	75346
2002	1/1/2002	12/31/2002	BON	871763	54649
2001	3/15/2001	11/15/2001	BON	867728	103391
2000	3/15/2000	11/15/2000	BON	401711	90194
1999	3/15/1999	11/15/1999	BON	306981	36195
1998	3/15/1998	11/15/1998	BON	248860	32084
1997	3/15/1997	11/15/1997	BON	360673	26415
1996	3/15/1996	11/15/1996	BON	272884	23749
1995	3/15/1995	11/15/1995	BON	189419	50631
1994	3/15/1994	11/15/1994	BON	208197	35253
1993	3/15/1993	11/15/1993	BON	259337	18320
1992	3/15/1992	11/15/1992	BON	219688	36611
1991	3/15/1991	11/15/1991	BON	226411	48211
1990	3/15/1990	11/15/1990	BON	296525	44443

2013 very successful retreat

The Copper Island staff would like to thank all the participants of the 2013 fishing retreat for an exceptional time of good fellowship, fun memories and an abundance of fish.  We enjoyed reconnecting with long-time friends, making new friends and sharing the purpose of Copper Island Bible camp with our guests.  We trust you had a relaxed and enjoyable time at the Copper Island fishing retreat.

We always enjoy seeing fish come back to the dock.  We were excited to see a steady amount of nice Chinook and Coho salmon come in.  Despite having to release Chinook salmon over 77cm inside the Barkley Sound, many legal sized Chinook were caught along with some beautiful Cohos.  This year a number of nice halibut were also caught making this a surprisingly great year of fishing.  We hope next year's Chinook return will be strong in order to keep the big ones in the Barkley Sound.

Dawson Trautman (founder of the Navigators) once said: "The difference between catching men and catching fish is that you catch fish that are alive and they die, you catch men that are dead and bring them to life."

Thank you again for supporting the life giving work at Copper Island.  We trust that participants will continue to be encouraged and refreshed while helping others find life through Jesus Christ.

Barkley Sound King Salmon