Central Puget Sound fishermen can get back out on the water this Friday! On March 1, 2024, Marine Areas 10 and 11 will host the first big salmon opener in Puget Sound. Every year, die-hard, cold-tolerant, weather-watching saltwater anglers come to catch Winter Blackmouth and our resident Chinook Salmon. They offer a one-of-a-kind chance to bring home fresh salmon in the middle of winter.
Marine Area 10 and 11 both open on March 1 and are open four days a week, Wednesday through Saturday. However, each area has its own fishing limit. Our Chinook guidelines say that one or both of the areas may close early if they are met. If we don’t come close to meeting those goals, the season will run until April 15. Always check for emergency rule changes before heading out!.
WDFW News Release: Starting March 1, 2024, the 2024 Winter Chinook fishery will be open four days a week in Marine Areas 10 and 11.
Marine Area 10 also known as the Seattle-Bremerton area provides excellent salmon fishing opportunities for anglers in western Washington. This area is open year-round for salmon fishing, though the best times and species vary by season.
Overview of Salmon Fishing in Marine Area 10
Marine Area 10 covers the waters from Apple Cove Point near Kingston east to Edwards Point near Edmonds and south to the north end of Vashon Island The area is open to fishing for multiple salmon species including chinook, coho, pink, and chum salmon.
The salmon fishing seasons in Marine Area 10 are:
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Chinook salmon: Open year-round. The best seasons are February – April for blackmouth (resident chinook) and July – October for migrating chinook.
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Coho salmon: Open late summer and fall, typically August – November.
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Pink salmon: Open July – October during odd numbered years.
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Chum salmon: Open October – December.
Fishing for salmon is permitted from both boats and from shore. There are numerous public fishing piers and beaches that provide shore fishing access. Popular boat launches include the Everett Marina, Shilshole Marina, and Bremerton Marina.
Best Times and Locations for Salmon Fishing
The peak salmon fishing times in Marine Area 10 are:
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Winter (Dec-Feb): Blackmouth salmon fishing peaks as these resident chinook move into Puget Sound. Target them near river mouths and steep drop offs in deeper water.
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Spring (Mar-Apr): The blackmouth bite continues through March. Chinook salmon start migrating into Puget Sound later in spring.
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Summer (Jun-Aug): Chinook salmon migrations continue. Coho enter the sound beginning in late summer. Try the Skykomish and Snohomish Rivers.
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Fall (Sep-Nov): Coho salmon peak during this timeframe. Chum salmon enter the area in late fall.
The most productive fishing areas in Marine Area 10 are:
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Shilshole Bay: A prime area to fish for blackmouth and migrating salmon. Fish the deep waters off Meadow Point. Use flashers and herring near the bottom.
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Admiralty Inlet: Salmon migrate through this inlet. Troll herring or spoons along the shipping lane north of Point Partridge.
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Elliott Bay: An urban fishing spot near downtown Seattle. Chinook and coho are caught here in the fall. Fish near Duwamish Head.
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Sinclair Inlet: Home to the popular blackmouth derby. Troll herring along the dropoffs near Gorst and Port Orchard.
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Agate Pass: Coho stack up here in the fall waiting to enter the streams. Cast spoons and spinners near Point Monroe.
Top Salmon Fishing Tips and Techniques
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Use heavier gear and bait when targeting chinook and coho. Pink and chum salmon can be caught using lighter tackle.
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Salmon bites are very light. Watch your fishing rod for any small taps and jerks.
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When trolling, vary your speed from 1-3 mph until you find the speed getting strikes.
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Target depths of 20-60 feet when trolling for salmon in Marine Area 10. Use downriggers or lead core line to get lures down deep.
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Herring and artificial lures like spoons, spinners and plugs are all effective salmon baits. Always keep a few color variations handy.
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Add a flasher when trolling spoons and plugs to attract salmon with vibrations and colors.
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Once you hook a salmon, avoid slack in the line. Keep steady pressure to prevent the hook from dislodging.
Regulations and Licensing
Fishing for salmon in Marine Area 10 requires the appropriate Washington state fishing license. Licenses can be purchased online or from license dealers throughout the region.
The minimum size limit for retained chinook and coho salmon is 12 inches. Refer to WDFW regulations for bag limits, seasons and size restrictions for pink, chum, and sockeye salmon.
Make sure to consult the WDFW website for complete, up-to-date fishing regulations for Marine Area 10. Rules change periodically, so checking the site before each trip is advised.
Marine Area 10 offers world-class salmon fishing opportunities with easy access for Puget Sound anglers. This area is open year-round for salmon and productive during every season. While regulations, best times and techniques vary by species, you can catch chinook, coho, pink and chum salmon here from spring through fall. With great shore and boat fishing options, Marine Area 10 should be on every salmon angler’s radar.
Winter Blackmouth Salmon Seasons & Outlook
Every year, our salmon managers have to figure out how to make the winter salmon fishing season work so that we have a good chance of catching hatchery-sized Chinook that are big enough to keep and so that illegally small, unmarked Chinook don’t hurt our favorite fishing spots too much. If you’ve been paying attention to the winter seasons for a few years, you may have noticed that they seem to change every year. Also, the winter seasons have been getting later and later. The catch records from state test fishing boats show that with a later winter season, there should be fewer illegal Chinook caught. We hope that once we get out on the water in March, we won’t catch all of our little ones as quickly and will have more days to fish for Blackmouth. My fingers are crossed that there are a bunch of 22″ and larger hatchery Chinook swimming around!.
Marine Area 10 Blackmouth Fishing Season 2024
Marine Area 10 is my favorite part of Puget Sound, and it’s also where my homeport, Shilshole, is. There are some great areas to catch Winter Blackmouth here. Most of the fishing goes on around Jeff Head and Kingston, which are also good places to find fish. Other lesser known parts of the marine area are also worth looking at. When there is a lot of bait in Shilshole Bay, I like to fish right in front of it. A little further north, Boeing Creek and Richmond Beach are also good places to check out. Sometimes the fishing in Elliott Bay is good, but I don’t go down there very often in the winter. If you are stuck on land, remember that you can fish for salmon at the Seacrest Pier in West Seattle seven days a week, all year long.
Marine Area 10 will be opening on Friday March 1 and 4 days a week, Wednesdays through Saturdays. Daily limit is 2 salmon, one can be a Chinook 22″ or larger. Release Wild Chinook and Chum. In reality, the only keeper-sized salmon that will be caught this time of year are Chinook. Learn how to tell them apart!
Area 10 Opening Day for King Salmon Fishing
FAQ
Where is area 10 fishing in Puget Sound?
Is salmon fishing open in Washington?
Where is buoy 10 salmon fishing?
Is salmon fishing open in Grays Harbor?
When is marine area 10 salmon fishing season?
The first part of the Marine Area 10 salmon fishing season is June 1 to July 12, 2023. The daily limit is 2 Salmon, release Chinook and Chum. The primary catch this time of year is Resident Coho Salmon, and we get to keep clipped-hatchery and unclipped-wild Coho.
Can you fish marine area 10 for coho salmon?
The best thing about fishing Marine Area 10 for coho salmon is that you combine fishing for salmon extremely close to home with a typical abundance of coho and simplicity of technique that you might as well just say you’re going catching! Puget Sound Catching is at its peak! Sep 2023
When does Puget Sound open for salmon fishing?
Seattle’s portion of Puget Sound, Marine Area 10, opens for salmon fishing on June 1, 2023. Salmon fishing season is a few days away in the marine waters near Seattle, Washington. Puget Sound’s Marine Area 10 will open for fishing on June 1, 2023 and remain open for the entire summer.
When to fish for marine area 10 coho?
The season usually gets going in June for out-migrating / resident coho and the returning summer / fall coho usually start to show in July and continue through September. But don’t take my word for it, have a look at the graph above that tell you exactly when to fish for Marine Area 10 Coho!