The Fishing at Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge

Situated on the British Columbia west coast, on Dundas Island, near Prince Rupert, Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge is on of BC’s premier salmon fishing lodges. Located between two of North America’s most productive salmon rivers, the Skeena and the Nass, Dundas Island sits directly on the migratory path of millions of Pacific salmon. Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge guests get the first crack at these fish as they make their way to local rivers and down the BC coast to their place of birth and spawning grounds.

We specialize in saltwater sport fishing for ocean bright salmon and a wide array of bottom fish. Guests visit Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge annually in the pursuit of a trophy size Chinook.  This is one of the few remaining fisheries on the coast that still provides a consistent percentage of Tyees (chinook over 30 pounds).

Large Northern Coho invade the waters later in the season and provide exciting action on light gear and fly rods for these bright bullets averaging 8 – 14 pounds.

Halibut are abundant in the calm protected waters. “Chicken” halibut in the 15 – 25 pound class make up the bulk of the catch but each year many larger fish get weighed in at the resort. Other species of bottom fish that can be targeted are lingcod, pacific cod, and a variety of other rockfish that congregate on the reefs that surround the island.

Fishing Dundas Island

Being a floating resort has allowed Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge to situate their guests only minutes from the migratory paths of millions of pacific salmon. Once the exclusive haven of commercial salmon fishermen, Dundas Island’s calm, protected, swell-free waters were pioneered by Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge – the island’s first and only sportfishing resort. Lodge guests need only take a short boat ride, 2 to 20 minutes from the Lodge to the finest salmon fishing waters found anywhere in the world.

Fishing is done primarily by motor mooching (slow trolling) cut-plug herring behind 10’6 graphite rods with Canadian style single action reels.  Fishing the slow back eddies along kelp beds and rock walls at depths of 10-35 pulls (20-70 feet) is an extremely effective method for targeting the aggressive Chinook and Coho salmon which are abundant in the area.   For those who prefer to fish with a geared level wind reel, the Lodge provides these outfits as an alternative.  Also available to guests is a selection of Sage 8 wt fly fishing rods and reels.

Bottom fishing enthusiasts can target the vast array of bottom dwellers with the Lodge’s Stout 6 foot halibut rods, and Penn level wind reels loaded with 50 pound no-stretch Tuff Line. Gaffs and halibut harpoons are supplied for the anglers on their treks to the abundant reefs and shoals in the area.

Processing Your Catch

At Haa-Nee-Naa Lodge we believe strongly in caring for your catch to give you the best possible product to take home and share with your friends and family.  Throughout the day, your catch will be cleaned and filleted by our expert dock staff.  Fillets are then vacuum packed and flash frozen.  At the end of the trip, your catch will be packed in a wax-box for your journey home.  When you get home you will have a beautiful box of fish, each piece labelled by species and individually vacuum packed and ready to load into your deep freeze.