Kitimat was my father’s choice of destination when I was a small kid and it is now my choice for salmon fishing. The area is great location to be able to things yourself at your own pace and it’s not too busy that you are going to agony the locals. I have made 15+ trips in the last 26 years. You are completely save to launch a 18ft boat in Kitimat at the MK Marina and head out onto the Douglas channel. MK Marina is under new ownership so I don’t know what’s going on with it as there were a lot of locals concerned about it 2 years ago. It is the only place to launch a boat so it has to be still operating. Check out their website. There are lots of locals with 16ft to 18ft boats that head out on a regular basis. I have taken a Lund 1700 Fisherman out there half a dozen times and had no problems. I have upgraded to a Duckworth 1800 it handles the rougher water better now. Make sure you have a VHF radio and listen to the weather channel every day and during the day as the wind will blow down the channel and sometimes making coming home a really rough ride. If they predict a small craft warning I don’t go out or get off the water ASAP. The great thing is if you can’t head out onto the salt, there are a lot of rivers full of salmon for a guy to try as well.
There are a few different places to stay most every place caters to fisherman. My preferred place is Kitimat Lodge
http://www.kitimatlodge.com , but they do book up very early in the season. There have been at least one (maybe two) new hotels built in the last year so there are more options now. I did stay one year up in Terrace when things were booming in Kitimat but the hour drive every morning and night wore me down after being on the water.
Bradley’s Bait Shop located in the mall, is the only place left open that I know of for tackle. MK Marina has a small selection also if a guy gets into a pinch. Phone ahead to see if they have saltwater salmon stickers. They have run out in the past years and then a guy has to run back up to Terrace to get them. Home Hardware closed down last fall, a local institution that did not changed in almost 60 years, and an experience you had to see to believe. I am sad to see it go.
As for timing, I always head out the last week in August that goes into the September long weekend. That’s when the locals come out in droves to fish for Coho. I have chartered in the past and the guides always recommend that time of year. Usually more rain at this time of year but better fishing. There is still good fishing in July/August for Chinook and you would have more success with Halibut right now.
Have a look on the internet and check out the tourism page for Kitimat.