🎣 Sidney fishing conditions — Sat Oct 31 to Mon Nov 2

Summary

🏆 Top pick: Mon Nov 2, 11:51–12:57 (turn 12:23 flood→ebb, 2.2 kt strong). Wind 2–3 kt, gusts under 4 at Haro, dry and overcast, ECCC “Monday: wind light”, Hamley on. Fairfax on the last of the flood, Powder Wharf on the start of the ebb, then a Hamley pass going with the ebb. Off by ~15:00 before max ebb.

🥈 Runner-up: Sun Nov 1, 10:59–12:05 (turn 11:29 flood→ebb, 2.5 kt strong). Wind 1–3 kt, clear and dry; ECCC “north 5 to 15 becoming light in the morning”, so Hamley off. Channel drift on the last of the flood, Powder Wharf at the turn, then Fairfax’s south-side back-eddy as the ebb builds.

• Sat Oct 31 late morning is a go (11:03–12:07, turn 11:31 flood→ebb, 2.7 kt big): ENE 3–4 kt and dry, but a big exchange and ECCC “northeasterly 5 to 15 Saturday” — Fairfax only once it rips.

• Sat Oct 31 dusk slack (17:19–19:27, ebb→flood 1.5 kt) passes the wind gates, but the turn is 14 min after sunset and ECCC Georgia South has NW 10–15 Saturday evening — only the first half-hour is in daylight.

• All three days pass every gate; none is a no-go.

Per-day details

🟢 Sat Oct 31 — GO late morning (Fairfax), dusk slack mostly after dark Kellett Bluff ↗

• ⬇️ 11:31 flood→ebb 2.7 kt (big) 🌊🌊🌊 ~64 min, window 11:03–12:07 ★

• ⬆️ 18:09 ebb→flood 1.5 kt (moderate) 🌊 ~128 min, window 17:19–19:27 (mostly after dark)

• 🌙 L 02:35 (0.2 m) · H 11:43 (3.3 m) · L 17:52 (2.8 m) · H 19:07 (2.8 m) · sunrise 07:58, sunset 17:55

• 💨 wind ENE→N 2–5 kt, gusts 7, Haro gusts 9 · ECCC “Wind northeasterly 5 to 15 Saturday”

• ⛅ mixed · dry; showers end overnight Friday · ❌ Hamley off

• ➡️ 11:03–12:07 — Big exchange, short slack: Powder Wharf right at the turn (corner by the dock, let the ebb drag you out, on bottom), then Fairfax south-side back-eddy on the ebb, 120–150 ft, small green spoons. Skip Coal and Hamley.

• 📝 Calm on the hourly forecast but ECCC says NE 5–15 all day — an easterly component is the one that makes the Tulista docks awkward. Fishable, not ideal.

🟢 🥈 Sun Nov 1 — GO — late-morning slack Kellett Bluff ↗

• ⬇️ 11:29 flood→ebb 2.5 kt (strong) 🌊🌊 ~66 min, window 10:59–12:05 ★

• 🌙 L 03:39 (0.4 m) · H 12:34 (3.3 m) · sunrise 08:00, sunset 17:53

• 🍃 wind W→ESE 1–4 kt, gusts 4, Haro gusts 5 · ECCC “Sunday: wind north 5 to 15 knots becoming light in the morning”

• ☀️ clear · dry, clear · ❌ Hamley off

• ➡️ 10:59–12:05 — Drift the Channel north from the Red Can on the last of the flood (100–135 ft on bottom, expect weed), Powder Wharf by 10:50 for the start of the ebb, then Fairfax south-side back-eddy as the ebb builds (max ebb 14:28, 1.6 kt).

• 📝 Calmest, clearest day of the three. Hamley is off only because ECCC tops out at 15 early Sunday; it should be light by the turn.

🟢 🏆 Mon Nov 2 — GO — best day Kellett Bluff ↗

• ⬇️ 12:23 flood→ebb 2.2 kt (strong) 🌊🌊 ~66 min, window 11:51–12:57 ★

• 🌙 L 04:46 (0.7 m) · H 13:18 (3.3 m) · L 20:15 (2.2 m) · H 22:53 (2.3 m) · sunrise 08:02, sunset 17:51

• 🍃 wind NW→NE 1–3 kt, gusts 2, Haro gusts 4 · ECCC “Monday: wind light”

• ☁️ cloud · dry, overcast · ✅ Hamley on

• ➡️ 11:51–12:57 — Fairfax on the last of the flood (120–150 ft on bottom, small green/glow spoons), Powder Wharf by 11:45 for the start of the ebb, then Hamley on the transition going with the ebb (~130 ft, a bit off bottom). Hamley on: 3 kt at Haro, ECCC light.

• 📝 Lightest wind and the smallest exchange of the three, plus Hamley on. Furthest out, so re-check the Sunday 4 AM ECCC issue.

👀 Watch for

• ECCC Haro Strait (04:00 Fri): “northeasterly 5 to 15 Saturday”; extended “Sunday: north 5 to 15 becoming light in the morning. Monday: wind light.”

• Strong wind warning in effect for Strait of Georgia south of Nanaimo (Friday) — Kelp Reefs reading NNE 11 kt at 05:00 Friday. Georgia South goes NW 10–15 Saturday evening and SE 5–15 Monday.

• Saturday is firm; Sunday–Monday rest on the extended forecast. Re-run the morning of and check Kelp Reefs live wind.

• Slack ±1 h at Kellett Bluff vs the Channel — confirm on the water (crab floats standing up).

• Moon just past last quarter: exchanges shrink day by day (2.7 → 2.5 → 2.2 kt).

📋 Regulations

• Sidney Channel, Powder Wharf, Spit, Hamley (19-5): chinook 2/day, min 62 cm, no max size (FN0675). Coho in Area 19: 2/day, max 1 unmarked, through Dec 31 (FN0479).

• Fairfax / Moresby (Area 18): chinook 2/day, min 62 cm (FN0675; the 18-6 non-retention ended Oct 15). Coho in Area 18: 2/day hatchery-marked only (FN0479).

• SRKW Gulf Islands salmon closure (FN0597) runs to Nov 30: the line sits ~0.5 nm off Moresby's east shore — stay tight to Moresby, don't drift toward Pender.

• Chum: 4/day Areas 11–21 (FN1081). Notices override the area pages — confirm on DFO before keeping fish.

DFO: FN0675 chinook Areas 18/19/20 · FN0479 coho · FN0597 SRKW Gulf Islands closure · FN1081 chum · Area 19 regs · Area 18 regs · All 2026 Area 18/19 notices

Sources: Kellett Bluff currents (dairiki) · Sidney tides (DFO IWLS 07260) · Open-Meteo hourly · ECCC Haro Strait · Kelp Reefs observations

Slack timing ±1 h at Kellett Bluff vs the Channel — confirm on the water. ★ = best slack of the day. Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors.