An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.6 has rattled an area of central Vancouver Island.

Natural Resources Canada says the shaker hit at 10:22 a.m. and was centred 41 kilometres west of Gold River.

A release from seismologist Alison Bird says residents reported feeling the quake lightly across the centre of the island.

Story continues below advertisement

It would not have been strong enough to cause major damage or injuries.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the temblor occurred at a depth of one kilometre and reports have been received from as far away as Sooke, west of Victoria, and Point Roberts in Washington state, both almost 300 kilometres from the epicentre.

The quake was centred close to the tip of the Cascadia subduction zone, a seismically active area where the Juan de Fuca Plate is sliding under the North America Plate.