Fishing Report | Chilliwack/Vedder River

Visiting from out of town? Book a guided walk-and-wade or jet boat salmon and/or sturgeon fishing trip. We supply all the gear! Contact our River Titan booking hotline at 604-835-3474 (FISH), info@rivertitan.ca, or follow this link to book your trip today!

The river cleaned up nicely in time for the Boxing Day Steelhead Derby on Saturday. Congratulations to Rheece Metcalfe, whose 12.13lb doe took the biggest fish for 2025. There were a total of 5 fish weighed into the derby, plus more fish weighed into the Wally Hall Jr. derby. 

Conditions on the Chilliwack/Vedder have been challenging this season, thanks to the excessive rainfall we’ve seen so far. High water has reshaped sections of the river and triggered new slides, which continue to impact water clarity—especially on the lower river.

The good news is that cooling temperatures and a break in the heavy rain are slowly turning things around. Water levels are dropping, visibility is improving, and anglers are starting to connect with fish. Several wild steelhead have been hooked recently, along with the occasional hatchery fish. There have also been plenty of whitefish landed and the odd resident trout mixed in.

The river is currently fishable, but if conditions continue to improve, the next few days should be even better. As water levels fall, fish tend to become more aggressive—often translating into better steelhead opportunities.

As always, keep an eye on water clarity, adjust your presentation, and be ready to cover water as conditions continue to stabilize.

Top-producing gear offerings include large 🟠 artificial beads (10mm and up), jigs, roe, shrimp, rubber worms (go big when the water is dirty), and water-hardened egg sacks. Blades are starting to work - use a small Colorado either by itself, or in a tandem rig (similar to a wedding band) under a float.

Fly anglers should focus on larger, more visible patterns such as bunny leeches, intruders, caterpillars and other bold profiles. A large tungsten egg pattern is also worth swinging through slower runs - caterpillars or eggie bombers. 

Check out our Steelhead 101 blog post for tips and tricks on maximizing your chances on the river.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we post regular updates.

Please be aware of the regulations and how to identify your fish. Release all non-retention species properly. Please do not take them out of the water. A single barbless hook is very easy to remove. Stay within your limit.

Real-Time Chwk River Level at Vedder Crossing

Click here for retention limits and up-to-date notices specific to Region 2 rivers