Babine River

River Northern British Columbia Crown Land (Free)

About this spot

Babine River is a river located in the Northern British Columbia area of British Columbia. This waterbody sits on British Columbia Crown land open to anglers holding a valid BC fishing licence. British Columbia's rivers and streams provide excellent fishing for Pacific salmon, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout.

Location

Fish Species

No species reported for this spot yet.

Winter fishing on Babine River

Babine River is in fishing Region 6 (Skeena). BC has no separate ice fishing season, so the regular rules apply through the ice: the 2025-2027 synopsis lists rules of its own for this water, shown below, on top of the regional quotas.

Babine River · MU 6-8

Angling prohibited for non-guided non-resident aliens on Saturdays and Sundays from the juvenile fish counting weir located at the outlet of Nilkitkwa Lake to the Nilkitkwa River confluence, Sept 1-Oct 31 (See map page 56)
No Fishing between fishing boundary signs approximately 100 m upstream of and 80 m downstream of the adult fish counting fence, located approximately 1.8 km downstream of Nilkitkwa Lake
Open all year in the stream channel known as “Rainbow Alley” located between Babine and Nilkitkwa lakes (see map 2 page 51)
Fly fishing only (a) from the Fort Babine Bridge downstream to signs 100 m upstream of the adult fish counting fence (including Nilkitkwa
Lake), during open times and (b) from signs about 80 m downstream of the adult fish counting fence to Nichyeskwa Creek, June 16-Sept 30; includes "Rainbow Alley"
Bait ban
No angling from boats from the adult fish counting fence (described above) downstream to the Babine River’s confluence with the Skeena
River
Class 1 water Sept 1-Oct 31; Steelhead Stamp mandatory Sept 1-Oct 31 from the juvenile fish counting weir located at the outlet of Nilkitkwa Lake downstream to the Babine River’s confluence with the Skeena River (See map page 56)

Region 6 daily quotas

Trout/char: 5, but not more than 1 over 50 cm (hatchery steelhead included), 3 Dolly Varden/bull trout and/or lake trout combined, and 1 trout from streams July 1-Oct 31. Release all Dolly Varden/bull trout from streams, trout under 30 cm from any stream, and trout of any size from streams Nov 1-June 30.
Arctic grayling: 3
Burbot: 5
Inconnu: 1

All Region 6 quotas, closed and aerated lakes →

Nearest snow station: Shedin Creek (1,480 m, 18 km away), 0 cm on October 19.

Source: BC Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis 2025-2027, matched to this water by name and management unit. Check in-season changes on the same page. No regulation makes ice safe: test it yourself. Ice fishing in BC guide.