FRASER CANYON
The Fraser River Rush of 1858 brought thousands of prospectors north from California. The river is famous for its massive volume of "flour gold" distributed across hundreds of miles of gravel bars.
Extreme Water Danger
The Fraser River is one of the most powerful waterways in North America. **The current will kill you.**
Water Levels: Gold is only accessible when the water is low (fall and winter). During the spring freshet, the canyon is a deathtrap of debris and massive rapids.
Gravel Bars
Bars like Hill's Bar and Texas Bar were the epicenters of the rush. Focus on the high-water marks where fine gold is dropped as the river recedes.
Flour Gold
99% of Fraser gold is smaller than a pinhead. You need specialized fine-gold recovery equipment (like a Gold Cube or Dream Mat) to catch it.
Lillooet
Commonly known as "Mile 0." The area around Lillooet offers easier access to the river and has a rich history of Chinese-Canadian mining.
Field Tips: Black Sand Concentration
On the Fraser, the gold is almost always associated with **heavy black sands**. Look for the "strips" of dark sand on the surface of the gravel bars. **Skim the surface.** In many cases, the top 2-5cm of a gravel bar will contain more fine gold than the 2 meters beneath it. This is "live" gold that has been deposited by recent high water events.
What Your Gold Is Worth
Rough spot-price estimate of your find. Real payout depends on purity, weight, and who you sell to — but this gives you a ballpark before you head home.
This is a rough calculator — purity, refinery fees, and market spread all affect what you actually get. Check current spot prices before selling.
Gold Knowledge Resources
Optional gold-culture references for readers curious about bars, coins, purity and storage language after prospecting. These are third-party resources, not financial advice.
BullionVault
Third-party resource for learning how vaulted physical gold services describe storage, fees and custody.
BullionStar
Useful for comparing bars, coins, premiums and purity language after learning field testing basics.
APMEX
Browse mainstream bullion product formats and premiums as gold-culture background, not prospecting advice.
JM Bullion
Reference catalogue for seeing common retail names, weights and purity markings used on coins and bars.
The Digger's Code
- Backfill all holes before you leave.
- Pack out all your trash.
- Respect fence lines and gates.
Legal Disclaimer
Land access rights, safety conditions, and public fossicking zones change. You are solely responsible for verifying regulations with local authorities (DOC/Council/BLM) and assessing river safety before visiting. Paystreak.io accepts no liability for injury, fines, or trespassing. Never dig on private land without explicit permission.
✓ Information last verified: January 2026