--- title: "Tofino Fish Guides" kind: "Guided Fishing Charters" region: "Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia" canonical: "https://wildernessledger.com/experience/tofino-fish-guides" author: "Ben Taft" reviewed: "2026-09-14" operator: "https://www.tofinofishguides.com" --- # Tofino Fish Guides > Tofino Fish Guides: from $800 CAD per boat for a 4-hour afternoon charter with up to 3 anglers, 2026, before 5% GST, in four seasonal price bands across a year-round season, with children 15 and under fishing free with an adult and no accommodation in the price. - Kind: Guided Fishing Charters - Region: Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia (gateway Tofino) - Season: year-round; peak salmon and halibut mid-May to the end of September, winter chinook and prawns from October - Sleeps: 5 guests - Access: Road - Rate band: $$, $500–1,000 per person / night - Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/tofino-fish-guides - Operator site: https://www.tofinofishguides.com - Record checked: 31 July 2026 by Ben Taft Tofino Fish Guides runs charters out of Tofino harbour year-round, which is unusual on this coast; most west-coast operators close after September. Charters are sold by the boat for up to five guests, in four, six and eight-to-ten hour blocks, with rates that move through four published seasonal bands rather than a single summer price. Chinook and halibut carry the early season from mid-May, the peak runs through late July and August, and albacore tuna come within range offshore in late summer when conditions allow. From October to mid-May the boats work winter chinook, spot prawns and Dungeness crab, and run protected-water and shoreline trips when the swell is up. Fly fishing inside Clayoquot Sound and a separate float-plane freshwater drift trip are also offered. No fuel surcharge is added. ## From, per person What a charter costs by the hour and the season, what the boat price buys, and what is on top, from the operator's own rate card. There is no lodge: these are day charters out of Tofino harbour, priced per boat for up to five, and you book your own bed in town. Read from Tofino Fish Guides, Premium Saltwater Charters (rates) on 14 September 2026. ## At a glance - Season: Year-round (four price bands) - From: $800 (per boat, 4-hour afternoon, up to 3) - Boat: Up to 5 (27 ft Pursuit, flush toilet, radar) - Departure: 6 or 7 am (afternoons at 1 pm) - Children: Free (15 and under, with an adult) - Licence: Not included (buy online from DFO before you go) - Tuna add-on: $500 (August and September, full day) - Dock: Tofino Resort and Marina (630 Campbell Street) ## Seasons - Early season: 16 May to 26 July 2026 (chinook and halibut) - Peak: 27 July to 29 August 2026 (chinook, coho, tuna from August) - September: 30 August to 30 September 2026 (coho, halibut, tuna, sablefish) - Winter: 1 October to 15 May 2026 (winter chinook, prawns, crab) ## Rates, 2026 (CAD) Per boat, Canadian dollars, for the whole party, before 5% GST. One price covers one to three anglers; four and five cost a little more in some bands. Children 15 and under fish free with an adult. No fuel surcharge. There is no accommodation in the price. | Package | Occupancy | Early season | Peak | September | Winter | |---|---|---:|---:|---:|---:| | Full day | Up to 3 anglers, per boat | $1,600 | $1,600 | $1,500 | $1,300 | | Full day | 4 anglers, per boat | $1,600 | $1,700 | $1,600 | $1,400 | | Full day | 5 anglers, per boat | $1,700 | $1,800 | $1,600 | $1,500 | | Morning, 6 hours | Up to 3 anglers, per boat | $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,100 | | Morning, 6 hours | 4 anglers, per boat | $1,100 | $1,200 | $1,100 | $1,100 | | Morning, 6 hours | 5 anglers, per boat | $1,200 | $1,300 | $1,200 | $1,200 | | Afternoon, 4 hours | Up to 3 anglers, per boat | $800 | $850 | $850 | $800 | | Afternoon, 4 hours | 4 anglers, per boat | $800 | $850 | $850 | $800 | | Afternoon, 4 hours | 5 anglers, per boat | $950 | $950 | $950 | $900 | | Afternoon, 5 hours | Up to 3 anglers, per boat | $950 | $950 | $995 | n/a | | Afternoon, 5 hours | 4 anglers, per boat | $950 | $995 | $995 | n/a | | Afternoon, 5 hours | 5 anglers, per boat | $1,100 | $1,100 | $1,100 | n/a | In the price: Bait and tackle; The guide and boat, with no fuel surcharge. On top: GST at 5%; Personal fishing licence and salmon stamp; Gratuity, optional; A 1% donation to the 1% for the fish campaign, matched by the operator; The $500 tuna add-on in August and September. The rate card is not dated; the site's fishing reports and copyright are 2026. The fly-fishing and salmon-troll charter on the 20-foot centre console, mid-June to September, is priced separately for up to three: $1,600 for a full day of up to 10 hours, $1,200 for a six-hour morning, $850 or $995 for a four- or five-hour afternoon. Read from Tofino Fish Guides, Premium Saltwater Charters (rates) on 14 September 2026. ## Included - The boat and a guide for the hours booked: a 27-foot Pursuit 255 Offshore with twin four-stroke outboards, radar, a covered cabin and a private flush toilet - Bait and tackle, with Islander and Avet reels and Shimano, Fenwick and Sage rods - Auto-inflate life jackets and rain pants, and children's life jackets - Your salmon and halibut dressed by the guide after the trip, and dinner fish prepped - Children 15 and under fishing free with an adult - No fuel surcharge ## Not included - GST at 5% - A personal tidal fishing licence and salmon stamp, bought online from Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Gratuity, optional - A 1% donation to the 1% for the fish campaign, collected on the charter and matched by the operator (you can opt out) - The $500 tuna add-on for fuel and gear, August and September - Food and drink: bring your own, or order a RedCan Gourmet lunch - Processing beyond dressing: vacuum packing, freezing, smoking and canning at Naas dockside or St Jean's - Somewhere to sleep: the operator has two rental houses on fish-and-stay packages, otherwise book your own ## Deposit and cancellation - Deposit: A deposit is taken when you book; the operator emails a receipt with the deposit and total, and does not publish the amount. Visa, MasterCard and American Express. - Balance due: Not published The operator publishes no cancellation or refund policy on its site. Read the terms in the online booking before you pay, or ask for them by email. Read from Tofino Fish Guides, Family Fishing on 14 September 2026. ## Questions people ask **How much does a Tofino Fish Guides charter cost?** The boat is priced for the party, not per head. In the peak band, 27 July to 29 August, a full day of eight to ten hours is $1,600 for up to three anglers, $1,700 for four and $1,800 for five; a six-hour morning is $1,200 to $1,300 and a four- or five-hour afternoon $850 to $1,100. Early season (16 May to 26 July) and September are a little less, and from 1 October to 15 May a full eight-hour day is $1,300 to $1,500. Add 5% GST, your licence and a tip. For two people on a peak full day that is $800 each before tax; for five it is $360. **How many people fit on the boat?** Up to five, with cushioned seating for all of them; the operator says the boats are the perfect fit for groups of up to four. One price covers one to three anglers, so a couple pays the same as three friends. Children 15 and under fish free with an adult, and when more than two boats are needed the operator books local owner-operator guides in their own vessels. **What time do we leave, and from where?** Full days and mornings leave at 6 or 7 am, afternoons at 1 pm, from the Tofino Resort and Marina at 630 Campbell Street: turn right at the resort as you come into town on Highway 4, go down the ramp by the Adventure Centre, hard left at the bottom, and the boats are on the A finger in slips 7 and 9. Tuna days leave at 6 am. **What does a full day look like?** Eight to ten hours. The fishing grounds are 10 to 45 minutes from the harbour; the Portland tack, an offshore drop-off where the salmon stop to feed, is about 30 minutes out. A full day gives time to fish salmon and then run to the western reefs for halibut, lingcod and rockfish, or to pull crab traps on the way home if you ask in advance. Humpback, grey and orca whales, sea otters, wolves and bears are common sightings. **Do I need a fishing licence?** Yes, a personal tidal-waters licence with a salmon stamp, bought online from Fisheries and Oceans Canada before the trip; print it or keep the PDF on your phone or in the BC fisher app. It is not in the charter price. Retention limits for 2026 were two chinook a day per angler and four in possession. **What should I bring?** The operator's own list: your licence, layered warm clothing (it is cooler on the water), rain gear if you have it (some hotels lend it, and the boat can provide it in a pinch), sunscreen and sunglasses, and food and drink of your choice, or a RedCan Gourmet lunch ordered on 250-725-2525. If you are prone to seasickness, take a tablet the night before and another in the morning. Leave hiking boots and dark-soled shoes on shore. **What happens to the fish?** Your guide dresses the salmon and halibut and can prep fish for dinner. Anything you will not eat in the first few days should be vacuum-packed and frozen: Naas dockside, at the marina, fillets, portions, vacuum packs, flash freezes, supplies a cooler and can pack for air travel or ship; St Jean's Cannery collects from the dock for smoking and canning in Nanaimo and ships to your door. **When is the best time to go?** Chinook are caught year-round and peak somewhere between June and August; halibut are best late spring and early summer once they move onto the shelf; coho show from late June and build through September, when the fly-fishing is at its best. Albacore tuna sit in the deep canyons offshore in August and September when the warm current arrives. April and May are strong for bottom fish, and February to early May is prime spot prawn season. **Is winter fishing worth it?** The operator runs all winter, which few Tofino charters do, in the sheltered inlets of Clayoquot Sound: winter chinook (the best eating salmon in the North Pacific, in their opinion), spot prawns pulled with a power puller, and Dungeness crab at their most abundant. Halibut close 31 December and reopen 1 March; lingcod and rockfish close 16 November and reopen 1 April, and when the seas lie down the boats go offshore for them. A run to the hot springs can be added to a winter day. Winter charters are $1,300 to $1,500 for eight hours, $1,100 to $1,200 for six and $800 to $900 for four. **Can we go for tuna?** In August and September, on a full-day charter plus a $500 add-on for fuel and gear. The blue water is an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half offshore and the day needs weather and fish to line up, so the operator suggests booking one to three days if you are coming from a distance and letting them pick the tuna day; nearby, a promising day can be booked at short notice. The Red Sky carries a four-person life raft for these runs. **Where do we stay?** There is no lodge; charters leave from the harbour and you sleep in town. The operator has two rental houses on fish-and-stay packages, The Flats at Jensen's Bay (two king bedrooms, hot tub, sleeps two to four) and the Tidewater House above the harbour (three bedrooms, sleeps six), with July and August held for fishing guests. Three nights and two days' fishing for two runs $3,300 to $4,550 at The Flats and $3,600 to $5,000 at Tidewater by season; four nights and three days $4,800 to $6,600 and $5,200 to $7,200. Charter fees carry 5% GST and the 1% donation; the houses carry a $175 cleaning fee, 5% GST, 8% PST and 3% MRDT. **How do I book, and do I tip?** Book online through the Book Now button on the operator's site, or email info@tofinofishguides.com with your dates and full name; the office replies with a receipt showing the deposit and total. Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Gratuity is optional and not in the price. A 1% donation to the Tofino Salmon Enhancement Society is collected on each charter and matched by the operator; say if you would rather opt out. ## Stories - Rod, reel, rotor: three ways to fish British Columbia: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/three-ways-to-fish-british-columbia (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/three-ways-to-fish-british-columbia.md) - The floating lodge in Quait Bay: Wahous Wilderness Lodge, before and after the name: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/the-floating-lodge-in-quait-bay (plain text: https://wildernessledger.com/guides/the-floating-lodge-in-quait-bay.md) ## Sources - Tofino Fish Guides, Premium Saltwater Charters (rates): https://www.tofinofishguides.com/your-charter/premium-saltwater-charters.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Tuna Fishing: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/your-charter/bluewater-fishing.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Winter Fishing and Touring: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/winter-fishing-and-touring.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Saltwater Flyfishing: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/your-charter/saltwater-flyfishing.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Family Fishing: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/your-charter/family-fishing.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Fish/Stay Packages: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/fish-stay/packages.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Vessels: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/vessels.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Location: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/about-us/location.html (read 14 September 2026) - Tofino Fish Guides, Contact: https://www.tofinofishguides.com/contact.html (read 14 September 2026) Canonical page: https://wildernessledger.com/experience/tofino-fish-guides Written by Ben Taft, Photographer and filmmaker, The Wilderness Ledger (https://wildernessledger.com/about). Ben Taft visited and photographed Tofino Fish Guides in person; the figures above are from the operator's own published material, read on the dates shown. Every photograph and film is his. Publisher: The Wilderness Ledger. Corrections: hello@wildernessledger.com.