Big Fish Later. Full Coolers Now.

Every winter I get some version of the same call. Someone's booking their first trip to Hakai Pass, and they ask if they should hold out for an August date because that's when the fishing is supposed to be best.

I've been fishing these waters every summer since 2005, and here's the honest answer: average size does trend up as the season goes on. I'm not going to tell you otherwise. But that doesn't mean the big ones are missing in June and July, and it doesn't mean early season is a lesser trip. If you're the kind of angler who'd rather have a cooler full of fish and a great day on the water, waiting for August might be costing you the best version of the trip you actually want.

The Big Ones Aren't Only an August Thing

Let me be straight about something. Yes, the average Chinook gets bigger as the summer goes on. But Tyee-class fish, thirty pounds and up, are already in Hakai Pass by June. It takes some patience and a little luck to connect with one, same as any month, but I've watched guests put thirty-pound-plus Chinook in the boat in the first weeks we're open, every season. Big fish aren't waiting for August. They're just harder to guarantee on any given day, in any month.

Most of our guests aren't fishing for one fish anyway. They're fishing for a good day, a full box to bring home, and the kind of trip where the rods stay bent all afternoon. That's a different game than trophy hunting, and it plays out just as well, sometimes better, in the early weeks of the season.

What Late June Through Mid-July Actually Looks Like

In late June of 2026, the catch ran roughly 60% coho to 40% Chinook. That's not a slow build-up before the "real" season kicks in. That's a full, mixed bite from day one, with two different species committing to the bait in the same water.

These are typical catch ratios for our early season and it just goes to show that fish don't check a calendar before they show up.

The Math That Actually Fills a Cooler

Here's what most anglers don't think about when they're picking dates: your Chinook are capped no matter when you fish. At Joe's, that's 2 per day or 4 per trip, inside an overall salmon limit of 4 per day and 8 in possession.

That cap doesn't move whether you fish in June or August. What changes is what's biting alongside your Chinook. If coho are already running strong by late June, and they are, you're not sitting around once you've hit your Chinook limit. You keep fishing, you keep hooking up, and you fill the rest of your box with fish that are already committed to the bait.  Plus, the coho numbers tend to increase as we move into August.

Waiting for August doesn't get you more Chinook.

The Bottom Fishing Nobody's Touched Yet

Salmon aren't the only thing filling coolers early in the season. Lingcod, halibut, and rockfish spend the off-season with almost nobody bothering them. Hakai Pass is remote enough that fishing pressure drops off hard once we close for the year, and it stays that way until the season opens back up. By the time we're back on the water in late June, those fish haven't seen a hook in months.

Some guests split time between salmon in the morning and bottom fishing in the afternoon, so this isn't a separate trip. It's the same day you'd already be having, just with lingcod, halibut, and rockfish that haven't been pressured all winter.

The Part Nobody Puts in the Brochure

Early season has its own quiet advantages that have nothing to do with catch counts. Fewer boats on the water. More one-on-one time to get tips from your Fishmaster. First pick of dates instead of whatever's left as the season fills in. Some of our repeat guests book late June and early July on purpose, not because they had to, but because they've figured out that's when they get the trip they actually want.

The Short Version

If you're chasing one big fish, know this: the giants are already here in June and July. It takes patience, same as any month, but they're not an August exclusive. If you're fishing to fill a cooler and have a great day doing it, you really don't need to wait. The bite's already going by the time most people are still deciding whether to book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there trophy-sized Chinook in Hakai Pass in June and July?

Yes. Tyee-class Chinook, thirty pounds and up, show up in Hakai Pass starting in June. They're not guaranteed on any given day in any month, but early season anglers land them every year.

Do the fish get bigger later in the season at Hakai Pass?

On average, yes, later summer tends to bring larger average fish. But that doesn't mean big fish are absent early, and average size isn't the only thing that makes a trip successful.

Are coho salmon around early in the season, or just Chinook?

Both. Guests fishing late June have seen mixed hauls of coho and Chinook in the same week, not a slow Chinook-only start followed by coho arriving later.

What can I keep on a trip to Joe's Salmon Lodge

Current limits allow 4 salmon per day with a possession total of 8, of which no more than 2 per day or 4 per trip can be Chinook. Halibut limits are still to be announced. Always

confirm current regulations before your trip, as they can change season to season.

Is early season a good time to book if I want a full cooler more than a trophy fish?

Yes. With a mixed Chinook and coho bite already active by late June through mid-July, anglers focused on volume and variety often do very well booking early, without competing for the more crowded August dates.

What about bottom fishing early in the season?

Lingcod, halibut, and rockfish see very little fishing pressure over the off-season, since Hakai Pass is remote and quiet once the lodge closes for the year. Early season anglers are often fishing water that hasn't seen a hook in months.

We'll see you on the water.

-Mike