The Miramichi is not one fishery but a vast branching system — Main Southwest, Cains, Renous, Dungarvon, Northwest and Little Southwest — and access on it is split between public-pool water and private lodge and club holdings. The Miramichi Salmon Association maintains an index of public pools on each branch, but a pool being listed as public does not guarantee you can walk in: many sit beside private property, so check signage on site before fishing. Salmon angling is barbless artificial fly only and almost entirely catch-and-release for large salmon under 2026 DFO Gulf Region rules, and a New Brunswick salmon licence is a separate thing from access to any given pool. Critically, in warm water the system carries a cold-water-refuge closure protocol: salmon angling is closed in and around more than thirty cold-water-refuge brooks during warm-water events, so a good day on the river can still mean large stretches are shut. These zones group the public-pool access by branch, with the private-lodge water noted as context — always confirm current rules, closures and access locally before travelling.