Quatsino Sound

Quatsino Sound is the most northerly of the five main west Vancouver Island Sounds and is approximately 30 km long. Leading from the Pacific Ocean Quatsino Sound almosts isolates the northern tip of Vancouver Island. It cuts in from Cliffe Point and runs up to the little fishing village of Coal Harbour. Near the entrance to the Quatsino Narrows, the Neroutsos Inlet veers away southeast for another 20 km past the community of Port Alice. Past the narrows, the Rupert Inlet continues for another 10 km and Holberg Inlet for 35 km. Due to the mountains on all sides of the inlet, it is protected from the west coast wind.

The beauty of the area is matched only by its fantastic sportfishing and kayaking. Heavy runs of coho begin in June and run through September. Chinook start showing up in late April and they are big ones and lots of them. Halibut and cod are in abundance and the crabbing is outstanding. During August-October, the fly fishing for coho is tremendous and there are some big ones out there. The bait can be so thick in the sound that you can practically walk on them. Steelhead fishing in the local rivers is pretty much untapped. You do need a guide who knows how to access these places or you can spend a lot of time banging your head against the bushes.

For the kayakers, there are beaches just outside the sound that are covered with shells and every trip there seems as though it's the first one. There are caves to explore, glass fishing floats to find and islands to discover. The wildlife is abundant with a particularly large number of sea otters who love to float around on their backs cracking open crabs for their dinner.

If you are looking to fish, kayak or simply relax and enjoy an unspoilt natural west coast environment then Quatsino Lodge should be on your list of places to visit and we look forward to sharing the Quatsino experience with you.