This part of Northeast Washington is on the second-largest estuary in the United States. It runs from north to south for more than 100 miles. And this body of water is as bountiful as it is big. Anglers can spend thousands of hours in Puget Sound fishing for amazing table fare and top-quality sport fish. Salmon, Halibut, and Squid are all abundant here – and that’s just the start. Read on to discover the ins and outs of this legendary waterway.
As an avid angler in the Pacific Northwest, one of my favorite types of fishing is chasing salmon in the expansive waters of Puget Sound. This large inland sea offers ample opportunities to hook Chinook, coho pink, chum and even the elusive sockeye salmon.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about fishing for salmon in Puget Sound – from understanding salmon migration patterns, choosing the right gear, and using effective techniques to put more fish in your boat. Whether you’re new to salmon fishing or a seasoned expert, you’re sure to pick up some helpful tips. So let’s get started!
Understanding Salmon Migration in Puget Sound
The key to successful salmon fishing is understanding when and where different species are running through Puget Sound on their migration from the ocean back to their natal spawning rivers
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Chinook – Also known as king salmon, Chinook start entering Puget Sound as early as April and peak during June through August. Popular spots include Point No Point, Possession Bar, and the San Juan Islands.
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Coho – The bulk of the coho run happens between mid-August and November, Look forthem along tide rips or current lines that congregate baitfish
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Pink – Running July through September in large schools. Often found midwater column at 40-80 feet over open water. Can be close to shore within casting range.
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Chum – Enter Puget Sound starting in October with peaks in November. Schools are found in shallow nearshore waters.
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Sockeye – Brief run in July and August peaking mid-July. Mainly found in North Sound and San Juan Islands.
You can increase your chances by fishing during peak migration times, but salmon can be caught year-round in Puget Sound. Resident blackmouth (immature Chinook) are present fall through spring.
Choosing the Right Rods, Reels, and Gear
Having the proper gear dialed in for salmon fishing makes a huge difference in your success. Here are some key recommendations:
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Rods – For trolling, 8 to 10 foot medium power rods with a fast action are ideal. For casting or mooching, go with an 8 to 9 foot medium-heavy power, moderate fast action rod.
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Reels – Levelwind baitcast reels with line counters are perfect for trolling. For casting and mooching, opt for a quality baitcast reel with smooth drag.
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Line – Use 15 to 25 lb test monofilament or braided lines. Braid is excellent for sensitivity. Add a 6-10 foot fluorocarbon leader.
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Terminal Tackle – Carry a selection of diving plugs, spoons, spinners, hoochies for trolling. Also pack octopus style hooks, swivels, and sinkers for bait fishing.
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Bait – Herring, both whole and plug cut, are top baits for Puget Sound salmon. Sand shrimp and roe can also be effective.
Having a variety of lures, baits, and techniques will allow you to adapt when the salmon become finicky.
Techniques for Targeting Salmon in Puget Sound
You can catch Puget Sound salmon by trolling, casting, jigging, mooching, and fly fishing. Here are some of the most effective techniques to try:
Trolling
Trolling with diving plugs, spoons, and hoochies is an extremely effective technique for covering water and finding active salmon. Target depths from 20 to 80 feet for Chinook and pinks, or fish the top 20 feet for coho. Using downriggers or divers allows getting lures down to the strike zone. The San Juan Islands, Possession Bar, and Point No Point are all excellent trolling areas.
Casting From Shore
Don’t overlook fishing from public parks and beaches around Puget Sound. Casting spoons like Little Cleos or buzzbombs can produce salmon, especially coho, within a few feet of shore. Target mouths of streams or places with rip currents that congregate baitfish.
Jigging
Vertical jigging with large metal salmon jigs is deadly when schools are located on your fish finder. Use heavy jigs weighing from 2 to 8 ounces allowing you to work depths from 40 to 100 feet where salmon often hold. Rip the jigs aggressively on the upstroke to trigger reaction bites.
Mooching
Mooching involves slowly drifting with the current while fishing bait on or near the bottom. Use a banana style weight and quality circle hooks baited with plug cut herring or octopus hooks with whole herring. Target the mouths of rivers in late summer and fall as salmon stage before heading upstream.
Fly Fishing
Large streamer flies fished on sinking or sink tip lines can be deadly when salmon are up chasing bait near the surface. Watch for baitfish getting busted on top and cast big flies like Clouser Minnows. Use a stout 8 to 9 weight rod for solid hooksets and to fight strong fish.
Best Areas for Salmon Fishing in Puget Sound
Puget Sound offers salmon fishing opportunities from Bellingham in the north to Olympia in the south. But here are a few of my favorite hotspots.
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Possession Bar – From the Possession Point boat launch south to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Known for winter blackmouth and summers kings.
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Point No Point – Troll just off the kelp beds for kings and coho. Best from April through September.
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San Juan Islands – Rip currents around islands hold migratory salmon in summer. Fly fishing is popular.
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Mouth of the Green River – In late summer, target the mouth as kings and coho stage before heading upriver.
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Fox Island Bridge – Concentrates bait and feeding salmon. Look for kings in May and coho from September on.
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Dash Point – Productive for blackmouth in winter. Fish the drop off in 60-100 feet of water.
5 Tips for More Puget Sound Salmon
Follow these tips from my 20+ years fishing Puget Sound to maximize your salmon catch:
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Slow your troll down to 1.5 – 2.5 mph to trigger reaction bites when fishing is tough.
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Try fishing shallower earlier in the day, then move progressively deeper into the afternoon.
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Don’t ignore color changes. Switch lure colors every 20 minutes until you find what’s working.
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Fresh bait catches more fish. Check your baits frequently and replace torn up ones.
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When mooching, vary your depths until you locate salmon. Then fish that depth.
With the right techniques and a little hunt and peck, you’ll be reeling in Puget Sound salmon in no time. Follow this guide and you’ll gain the knowledge to consistently fill your cooler with delicious salmon. Just don’t forget to take a kid fishing and pass on the salmon fishing tradition. Tight lines!
Best Fish to Catch in Puget Sound
An angler’s dream comes true in the rough waters of Puget Sound, where you can find both delicious food and challenging, but plentiful, sportfishing. Every year, both bottom fish and pelagics come to this well-run fishery, along with tasty foods like King Crab, Squid, and Shrimp. Here are some of our favorite targets.
Most anglers know about this region for one main reason: the world-class Salmon fishing in Puget Sound. Salmon are famous all over the world, and Seattle’s Space Needle looks out over one of the busiest migration routes for these fish. All five species of Pacific Salmon are available here to some extent. Here’s what you’re most likely to catch, and when.
Also known as “King” Salmon, the mighty Chinook is the biggest of all the Pacific Salmon species. They usually arrive in the north of the Sound in June and by July and August they’re everywhere. Fish can get over 40 pounds, but most of the time you’ll catch ones that are only half that heavy, which is still something to write home about. By late summer, the migrating Kings have all but disappeared up their native rivers to spawn.
Puget Sound plays host to its own year-round Chinook fishery, too. Smaller “Blackmouth” Salmon are Chinooks who haven’t yet matured enough to leave the Sound for the open ocean. These are something of a Puget Sound specialty and are particularly hot targets in the winter.
Like their larger cousins, “Silver” Coho Salmon usually arrive in the Sound in June. These agile fish are abundant, delicious, and tend to stick around until later in the year. By mid-September, you’re in with the chance of catching a solid 8–15 lb Coho. Also, like King Salmon, you can fish for “Resident Silvers” throughout the year.
It’s weird that Pink Salmon only move into the Sound every other year, or in years with an odd number of days. In Puget Sound, everyone will talk about “Humpies” every year that ends in a one, three, five, seven, or nine. ”.
Starting about mid-July, the fishing for Pinks tends to heat up in August. Then it might be hard to catch anything else! Pink Salmon aren’t very popular in the kitchen, but they’re great smoked or cooked on the BBQ.
Chum and Sockeye Salmon also make their way into the Sound every year. Large and aggressive, Chum are usually considered more fun to catch than they are to eat. But, thanks to their oily skin, they’re perfect for the smoker. Sockeye Salmon, on the other hand, taste fantastic and are very easy to catch. But there are a lot of Chum Salmon in the south of the Sound, but not many Sockeye. They are mostly only found in the north, and even there, they’re not very common.
On the topic of good-eating fish, there’s not much on the menu that’s better than Halibut. These ocean-dwelling Flatfish can reach enormous proportions and will easily feed an extended family and then some. There are strict rules about halibut fishing in Puget Sound, but if you can get a spot on a charter boat during the right season, you might catch a big one. These monsters mainly live in the north, with Mutiny Bay and Admiralty Bay among the most famous hotspots.
I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but have you ever tried lingcod? Sportfishers love to target these bottom fish because they hit the bait very hard and don’t give up easily. And the rewards are sweet—some of the world’s tastiest white fish. Puget Sound Lingcod fishing can take place over any type of rocky structure, whether ledges or artificial reefs.
Squid may not exactly be a fish but Puget Sound Squid fishing deserves a mention in our guide. That’s because tens of thousands of these delicious cephalopods make their way to these waters every year. They’re most common in December and January, when they come to Seattle’s piers to enjoy the city’s bright lights. You can catch a lot of squid from a boat, but pier fishing for them is kind of a tradition around here.
From Cabezon to Sturgeon, the list of fish in Puget Sound goes on and on. But if you go fishing at any time of the year, you can find tasty bottom fish like Flounder, Sand Dab, and Sole, depending on the season. Along the top of the water, Herring, Pile Perch, and Mackerel are also fun to catch and tasty.
Puget Sound Fishing Spots
Washington place names don’t give away much, that much we can say. It’s not as bad as it looks! Foulweather Bluff, Point No Point, and Useless Bay have some of the best fishing in the Olympic Peninsula. Even though there are a lot of great fishing spots in Puget Sound, these are some of the most well-known.
2 Simple Setups for Puget Sound Salmon | RIGHT NOW
When is salmon fishing in Puget Sound?
Some of Puget Sound’s marine areas open for salmon fishing in early summer, usually in June or July. From opening day and onward, we catch these resident fish with pretty good regularity. They are 2-4 pounds at the beginning of the season and grow to 6-8 pounds by the end of the season. A great June morning on Puget Sound.
What fish can you catch in Puget Sound?
Spiny Dogfish are frequently caught in Puget Sound when mooching. Orca Whales working the waters surrounding Jefferson Head. Category: Salmon Tag: Blackmouth, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Mooching, Resident Coho Salmon
Can you fish Puget Sound salmon from the bank?
There are two or three basic choices you have in tackling puget sound salmon fishing from the bank. Fishing from the many publicly accessible beaches around Puget Sound Fish on the rivers which dump into the Sound (covered separately) There are many many beaches to choose from and several techniques to choose from.
How do you catch pink salmon in Puget Sound?
Every public beach in Puget Sound sees good fishing when they are in. The best technique to catch Pink Salmon from the beach is with a small metal jig. See metal jig fishing technique below. Check out Puget Sound Pink Salmon Fishing – The Ultimate Guide For most Puget Sound beach anglers, Coho Salmon capture the most attention.