Sandspit Adventures – British Columbia
LODGING
Single, Double, & Triple Occupancy Rooms Available
SPECIES
King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Halibut, Ling Cod, Yellow Eye & Various Other Rockfish
SEASON
June – August
RECOMMENDED FOR…
Company Retreats, Large Groups, Offsite Events, Families, Couples, Weekend Warriors
EQUIPMENT
All Equipment Included
Experience Canada’s best west coast secret!
Tucked away in the most western point of north B.C. lies Queen Charlotte Island, one of 150 islands in the Haida Gwaii region. Known as the “Galapagos of the North”, featuring distinct animals and vegetation, this is a spectacular remote space, with over 40 unique species of plants and animals, and world-class fishing. Sandspit Adventures provides a 5-star, top-shelf fishing adventure, with everything included! Just bring a bag and a good attitude! Stay at Sandspit Adventures, which offers a totally remodeled lodge with 4.5-star accommodations and 5 star service.
If you’re looking for aggressive ocean fishing, that’s geared towards anyone, regardless of experience level, and want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busy and overcrowded coastlines of mainland Alaska and Canada, then Sandspit Adventures is your trip!
There’s an allure to Sandspit: isolation, ancient temperate rainforests, rugged shorelines, secluded inlets, quaint villages, the Galapagos of the North and all that the Pacific Northwest has to offer in inspiring you with awe, with mile after mile of vast, sandy unpopulated beaches; It’s a special place with off-the-charts fishing that draw tourists in from all over the world. This is a trip of a lifetime, with some of the largest ocean fish you might ever catch, utilizing mooching rods and reels on downriggers while trolling for salmon, halibut, and ling cod all in one day!
Eco-tours are also available where you and your group can experience unforgettable adventures in the ancient land of the Haida. Witness orcas, grey whales, humpbacks, dolphins, old-growth cedar & spruce forests, and more on one of the most pristine islands. Adventure awaits you on this tour! Go to Balance Rock and the Tlell River Bridge, explore the Pesuta shipwreck, see old totem poles, see traditional Haida-style cabins in the Haida village, go crab-catching, exercise and educate yourself with nature hikes where you’ll learn about local flora and fauna, and tour the provincial parks. There’s something for everyone in the raw, beautiful landscape of this unique ecosystem.
Everyone also comes home with a ton of fresh fish, making this a very affordable trip. Traditionally a 3-day, 4-night trip, this is the perfect getaway for weekend warriors that want a fun, intense excursion, and like to make the best out of a long weekend.
The lodge is spacious, well blended to cater to both personal & professional groups, and has an attentive, friendly staff. Located in Canada’s most remote archipelago, Sandspit lies on the edge of the continental shelf, along the diverse and spectacular wild Northwest coast. The very hands-on and customer-oriented business owner has remodeled the Sandspit Adventures lodge with your comfort in mind and has plenty of 5-star reviews to show for it. Expect great food, great atmosphere, great accommodations, and great staff!
For large groups and businesses, there is full wi-fi across the lodge, with meeting spaces, a board room, along with cell phone boosters.
The lodge has a comfortable atmosphere and is close to the launch where you’ll begin fishing daily, after a delicious breakfast made by the amazing chefs each morning in the large dining hall that accommodates over 50 people. Planning something special? Ask us how we can help cater to your group; We’ll take special care with the lodge to cater to your unique needs for your next birthday party, offsite event, retirement party, and more!
Upon arrival, you’ll gather for initial orientation, be checked into your room, sized for clothes, and introduced to all 6 guides. The lodge takes special attention to your wants and needs out of your trip, with the intention of finding the best guide for you! You’ll then receive a boat orientation, go through a safety tour, have dinner, go to bed, wake up, have breakfast, and head out for your first day on the water.
For all experience levels and all ages, this is a great trip for the whole family, as well as large groups, offsite events, company retreats, etc. The guides are extremely well-known in the area, are some of the best in the region, and will customize your experience to make sure you have the trip of a lifetime!
You’ll enter the dry room each morning, after your chef prepared breakfast, get geared up, and head down to one of the 6 boats to start your adventure; Each boat fits 4 people, is equipped with high-quality downriggers, and all boats and equipment were recently upgraded amidst Covid-19. You’ll leave the dock and head west through Skidegate Inlet to Cartwright Sound (a 40 min. boat ride), where you’ll Salmon fish in the morning and switch over to jigging for Halibut and Ling Cod in the afternoon. The fishing is fast and of excellent quality. Be prepared for long, full, fun days of amazing bottom fishing for aggressive fighting Halibut, monstrous Chinook and Coho Salmon, easy-fighting but lengthy Ling Cod, Rockfish, and the occasional shark (don’t worry, your guide will handle the sharks).
This is a trolling trip, utilizing downriggers with speeds around 2-3 miles per hour, but instead of the conventional setup, you’ll use Mooching rods and reels; Mooching reels are basically gigantic, ocean-worthy fly rods (10-12) and the mooching rods are 10 ft. 6 in. This is a unique opportunity to get the experience of fly fishing, conventional fishing, and the art of trolling all in one.
All the fishing gear and tackle are included, so you just need to bring your sense of adventure (and some snacks if you get extra hungry).
The fishing season is short this far North, but it’s nothing short of incredible! June through August is the typical season; The fish are slightly smaller in the beginning of the summer, but there’s more to catch. In August, at the tail end of the season, the fish are the largest, but there’s fewer bites. No matter what month you visit, 20 silvers and 20 kings a day is the average you can expect to hook.
If you’re looking for an extra active and aggressive fishing experience, plan to come to Queen Charlotte around a full moon. This brings larger tides in, and with the flood tides come a plethora of bait fish, with large fish following closely behind.
You’ll be on the water all day (6-12 hours depending on how good the fishing is and what you can handle) and when you keep fish, the guides will clean and preserve the meat as fast as possible and put it on ice immediately. Once you’re done fishing and you get back to the dock, you can relax! The guides will take your daily catches up to the lodge, where they’ll take special detail in preserving your fish, properly processing, filleting, vacuum packing, flash freezing, and boxing up for your flight home. Extreme attention to detail is taken and every package is labeled, dated, and species are noted; rest assured, you will go home with 50-60 lbs. of your hard-earned catches! While they do that, you can explore the property for edible native Salmonberries, go take a shower, go to the bar, nap, etc. Dinner will be ready for you at 7 pm each evening.
You’ll do this again, amidst the gorgeous scenery, for 3 days total.
About The Fish
Chinook (King) Salmon
King salmon, or Chinook, are the largest species of salmon. They’re blue-green in color on the back, with black spots on the upper half of the body and the majority of their tails, and are dubbed as being one of the hardest fighting fish you’ll ever experience in the Pacific Northwest. Featuring rich, fatty, dense meat, with a full fish flavor and a hint of sweetness, you’ll be able to relive your trip and impress friends and family for months after, each time you get to cook the King.
Fun fact: In 2023, the lodge had their personal Chinook record beat when they caught a 62 lb. King Salmon! Listen to our podcast with Chad Whiteside, Owner at Sandspit Adventures, to hear the full story.
Coho (Silver) Salmon
Cohos are a favorite among fishermen; They’re spectacular fighters and incredibly acrobatic. They have dark metallic blue backs and silver sides and bellies. They’re mild in flavor, firm, dark, reddish-orange in color, and a must-have on the smoker or bbq.
Ling Cod
Ling Cod are highly predatory fish with an enormous appetite. They’re typically found on the rocky bottom, have a large mouth with very sharp teeth, can grow up to 60 lbs., and are brown mottled in color. Lean, firm, with a mild flavor and white, flaky meat, cod is a favorite table fare.
Halibut
Halibut are known for their hard fight. They’re flat fish that live deep on the bottom of the most gravely areas. They’re extremely lean, mild, sweet in flavor, have a dense, firm, white, flaky meat, and are one of the most tasty fish to bring home. They can grow well over 200 lbs. and over 7 ft. long.
The Guides
Sandspit Adventures’ guides stay very in tune with the fish and you’ll use artificial lures, spoons, herring, anchovies, etc., depending on what the fish are feeding on. There’s also great communication on the water and if your boat isn’t doing too hot, but your other group is getting bites nonstop, you’ll most likely move over to where the fishing’s good; In other words, when one boat wins, you all win! The guides are very accommodating to your group and they’ll try to keep you fishing as long as you want, but they will gladly tailor your experience based on what you need (you just have to be back at the lodge by 7, or the cooks get a little grumpy).
Why 3 Days?
Based on customer feedback, 3 days was the general consensus on what the perfect length of trip would be. Not only is there a 2-day allotted possession in British Columbia, but at the end of 2 days, most people have just 1 salmon left to catch. You can do a lot of fishing in 3 days, especially with how much action you get here since you’re catching fish (sometimes nonstop) for up to 12 hours a day; You also have 2 days of traveling time (making your trip 5 days total).
How Much Meat Will I Come Home With?
The average cost for Alaska Wild Caught King Salmon is $30-$70 per pound in the United States. The average cost for Alaskan Halibut is $30 per pound. Lastly, the average cost of Alaskan Ling Cod is $20 per pound. The 50-60 lbs. of fish you’ll come home with is valued at $1,500, 40% of the price of the trip! Not only will you fill your freezer, but you’ll get to bring home permanent, lifelong memories; A great value!
On a typical booking, you’ll fly and arrive on a Thursday, fish Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, and depart back home on a Monday. Air Canada is the only airline that provides daily flights to Sandspit, British Columbia. Currently, United, Air Canada, Air New Zealand, Delta, Qatar Airways, WestJet, Alaska Airlines, and SkyWest Airlines all fly non-stop to Vancouver.
You can catch a flight to Sandspit Airport (YZP) (2) from Vancouver (1), or fly Air Canada directly (you may be able to save some money by flying to Vancouver and then Sandspit).
Sandspit Adventures provides a round-trip shuttle service. A shuttle driver will pick you up upon arrival from the airport and take you to the lodge (3), which is about 3 miles away (a 10 min. drive).
LEGEND
(1) Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
(2) Sandspit Airport (YZP)
(3) Sandspit Adventures
We suggest you bring a layering system for clothing, including gloves, windbreakers, base layers, etc. If you plan to hike, bring hiking shoes and a second pair of good shoes. Our Adventure Consultants are well versed in 4 season dressing and layering systems that will keep you comfortable all day outside. If you need help getting a clothing list, please let us know.
If you have any prescription medications, please bring them. There’s no pharmacy nearby. There’s also no convenience store in the area, so if you like certain snacks, please bring those.
You’ll be on a boat for 3 days for extended hours. If you think you might get sea sick, bring Dramamine. It’s also recommended to take Dramamine a few days before your trip, so your body can adjust (rather than take them right before you get on the boat and run the possibility of getting sick).
Lastly, bring a good attitude!
TRIP INCLUDES
- Rain Gear
- Rubber Boots
- All Rods, Tackle, & Bait
- All Boats, equipped with state-of-the-art fishing equipment and GPS.
- Personal Flotation Devices (PFD)
- Professional Fishing instruction on local fishing techniques
- Fishing license
- 50-60 lbs. of your personal wild-caught fish, professionally processed and flash frozen
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- Lodging
- Transfer to and from the airport
- Eco-tours
- Wi-fi
- Conference spaces
- 3 Full Days of Fishing
- Chef Prepared Meals
DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Staff and guide gratuity
- Extra snacks you want on the boat
- Alcoholic beverages
2025 Season
4 guests per boat $3,400 (USD)
3 guests per boat $4,100 (USD)
2 guests per boat $5,300 (USD)
ADVENTURE AWAITS
If you’re interested in talking to a consultant or booking this adventure, please complete this form.