Puget Sound, WA Fishing Report

North Puget Sound

Fishing: The summer fishing season revs up in July, when numerous fishing opportunities are available. Freshwater anglers can fish for trout and salmon at some the of region’s rivers. On Puget Sound, additional salmon openers are just around the corner, while the popular crab season gets under way July 1 in most areas.

All but one marine area in Puget Sound opens for crab fishing July 1. The exception is Marine Area 7, where the crab fishery opens July 15 in the area’s southern portion (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) and Aug. 16 in the northern portion (Gulf of Georgia).

The crab fishery in all marine areas of Puget Sound will be open Thursday through Monday of each week. Crabbers should note, however, that the season gets under way with a two-day opening (July 1-2), and will be closed July 3-4 before re-opening on its regular weekly schedule Thursday, July 5.

Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), said state and tribal test fisheries indicate the crab population in Puget Sound remains abundant. “The test boats have done very well,” Childers said. “I expect this summer’s fishery to be similar to last year’s, when crabbing was good throughout the entire season in most areas of Puget Sound.”

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Most marine areas will close the evening of Sept. 3 for a catch assessment. However, Marine Area 7 will remain open through Sept. 30.

Additional information on the crab fishery is available on WDFW’s crab fishing webpage.

July also brings opportunities to hook salmon in the marine areas of Puget Sound. Those saltwater opportunities include:

• Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands), which opens July 1.  Anglers can keep one chinook as part of their two-salmon daily limit.
• Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton), where anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon beginning July 1. However, anglers must release all chinook through July 15. Beginning July 16, anglers can retain hatchery chinook – marked with a clipped adipose fin – but wild chinook must be released.
• Tulalip Bay "bubble" fishery remains open each week from Friday through noon Monday through Sept. 3. Salmon anglers fishing the bubble have a two-salmon daily limit, and are allowed to use two fishing poles with the purchase of a two-pole endorsement.
• Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) will be open July 1-15 with a daily limit of two salmon, but anglers must release chinook and chum. Hatchery chinook retention will begin July 16, when anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon but must release wild chinook and chum.

Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound salmon manager for WDFW, said he expects anglers will do well in some areas opening July 1. “The San Juan Islands have been a steady producer of hatchery chinook the last few years,” he said. “And Marine Area 9 is a fair bet for resident coho.” 

Before heading out, anglers can check creel reports for information on catch and effort in Puget Sound. WDFW fishery samplers collect the information each week at fishing access sites throughout Puget Sound.

In freshwater, portions of the Skagit and Cascade rivers are open for hatchery chinook salmon fishing through July 15. The Skagit is open to hatchery chinook retention from the Highway 530 Bridge at Rockport to Cascade River Road. On the Cascade, anglers can fish for salmon from the mouth of the river to the Rockport-Cascade Road Bridge.

The daily limit on the Skagit and Cascade rivers is four hatchery chinook, two of which may be adults (chinook salmon at least 24 inches in length).

The Skagit also is open to fishing for sockeye salmon. Anglers can fish for sockeye, from Highway 536 (Memorial Highway Bridge) at Mount Vernon to the mouth of Gilligan Creek through July 15. Anglers have a daily limit of three sockeye, with a minimum size of 12 inches.

Despite high flows and dirty water, anglers on the Skagit continued to catch fish as June came to a close, said Brett Barkdull, another WDFW fish biologist. “Anglers, especially bank anglers, are doing very well given the river conditions,” he said. “With the high water, the sockeye are hugging the shore where bank anglers can get to them.”  

Anglers should note that gear restrictions take effect on portions of the Skagit River beginning July 5. For more information, check the emergency fishing rule change.

Meanwhile, the Baker Lake sockeye fishery gets under way July 1. The daily limit at Baker is three sockeye salmon. Barkdull said the fishery will likely start slow, but should pick up later in the month. “I wouldn’t really expect there to be significant numbers of fish in the lake until mid-to-late July,” he said.

Anglers can check the number of sockeye released into the lake on WDFW’s website.

Trout fishing also is open at several of the region's rivers and streams. Under the statewide rule for trout, there is a two-fish daily limit and a minimum size of eight inches in rivers and streams. However, some of the region's rivers and streams have a rule requiring trout to be at least 14 inches in length to keep. For details on river fishing opportunities, check the Fishing in Washington pamphlet.

Lake fishing for bass, bluegill, perch, and crappie is steadily improving as water temperatures increase and fish become more active. "Early summer can be a tricky time for anglers, given the abundance of natural food and unstable weather patterns," said Danny Garrett, WDFW fisheries biologist. "As we move into summer and temperatures rise, fish tend to feed in shallow water – about 2 to 5 feet – early in the morning and late in the evening." When fishing for lunker bass, Garrett recommends topwater baits, such as buzzbaits, frogs, and poppers, and soft plastic twitch baits, including stick baits and flukes.

During the heat of the day, bass often move to deeper water near structures or other cover, Garrett said. In clear, deep lakes, such as Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish, anglers should focus on the outside edge of boat docks and along the weed line in 15 to 20 feet of water, he said, noting that a drop-shot technique with plastic bait is a good approach.

Wildlife viewing: Now's a good time to head to the Ballard Locks to check out salmon passing the fish ladder viewing windows. Several thousand sockeye pass through the fish ladder daily, and chinook should start showing up in greater numbers in late July. The Ballard Locks are located in northwest Seattle where the Lake Washington Ship Canal enters Shilshole Bay and Puget Sound. For information, call the locks' Visitor Center in Seattle at (206) 783-7059.

Meanwhile, state land managers are urging Washingtonians to avoid doing anything that might spark a wildfire. Unattended campfires, fireworks, faulty vehicle or motorcycle mufflers, careless disposal of cigarettes, and outdoor burning are among the common sources of wildfire starts in the state.

General rules for lands owned or managed by WDFW are described in the department’s public conduct rules. Fireworks are prohibited and campfires are limited to three feet in diameter and three feet high under those rules.

Fireworks are also prohibited on forestlands owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resource (DNR), which has imposed a burn ban from July 1 through Sept. 30. Despite rain and cool weather, DNR has already suppressed approximately 143 fires that have burned nearly 872 acres on state lands.

 “The major wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico remind us how destructive they can be to our homes and lives,” said Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands. “We urge everyone to exercise caution with any fire-related activities this holiday weekend.”

South Sound/Olympic Peninsula

Fishing: Summer salmon fishing is in full swing along the coast, where anglers have been reeling in bright chinook since mid-June.

“The chinook selective fishery got off to a quick start and anglers have continued to do well since,” said Doug Milward, ocean salmon manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “I expect that will continue in July, when anglers should start finding more hatchery coho salmon as well.”

Anglers fishing marine areas 1 and 2 can retain one chinook as part of a two-salmon daily limit. They must, however, release wild coho salmon.

On the north coast, the chinook selective fishery continues through June 30 in marine areas 3 and 4, where anglers have a daily limit of two salmon. Anglers are required to release wild chinook and all coho during the selective fishery.

Beginning July 1, the traditional recreational fishery for chinook and hatchery coho will get under way in marine areas 3 and 4, where anglers will have a daily limit of two salmon. Those fishing in marine areas 3 and 4 will be allowed to retain two chinook per day. But the chinook limit will change to one per day in Marine Area 4 starting July 16.

Beginning July 1, the traditional recreational fishery for chinook and hatchery coho will get under way in marine areas 3 and 4. Anglers fishing marine areas 3 and 4 will have a daily limit of two salmon, but must release wild coho salmon.  

Salmon fishing is open seven days a week, except in Marine Area 2 where fishing is open Sundays through Thursdays.

Halibut is still an option out on the coast. Marine Area 1 is open for halibut fishing Thursday through Saturday each week through July 14 or when the quota is reached, whichever occurs first. The fishery will reopen on Aug. 3 and continue three days a week (Friday-Sunday), until the remaining quota is taken, or Sept. 30, whichever occurs first.

In Puget Sound, salmon fishing seasons open July 1 in marine areas 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and 12 (Hood Canal – south of Ayock Point), while salmon fisheries in marine areas 11 (Tacoma/Vashon) and 13 (South Puget Sound) are already under way.

Steve Thiesfeld, Puget Sound salmon manager, said salmon anglers fishing the inside portion of Marine Area 4 have done well, suggesting that fishing will get off to a good start in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. “Early indications look good,” he said. “Anglers have done really well for chinook during the ocean selective fishery, and that could stretch into the Strait.” 

Farther south, fishing for hatchery chinook in Marine Area 11 has been good, Thiesfeld said. “Westport is getting all the attention, but the folks fishing the Tacoma area are doing pretty well,” he said. “There are definitely some fish to be caught in Marine Area 11.” 

Thiesfeld reminds anglers fishing Hood Canal that chum and wild chinook must be released. Because salmon fishing rules vary depending on the marine area, anglers should check the Fishing in Washington pamphlet for all regulations.

Before heading out, anglers also can check creel reports for information on catch and effort in Puget Sound. Recreational fishery samplers with WDFW collect the information each week at fishing access sites throughout Puget Sound.

Meanwhile, the crab fishery gets under way July 1 in all but one marine area in Puget Sound. The exception is Marine Area 7, where the crab fishery opens July 15 in the area’s southern portion (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) and Aug. 16 in the northern portion (Gulf of Georgia).

The crab fishery in all marine areas of Puget Sound will be open Thursday through Monday of each week. Crabbers should note, however, that the season gets under way with a two-day opening (July 1-2), and will be closed July 3-4 before re-opening on its regular weekly schedule Thursday, July 5.

Rich Childers, shellfish policy lead for WDFW, said state and tribal test fisheries indicate the crab population in Puget Sound remains abundant. “The test boats have done very well,” Childers said. “I expect this summer’s fishery to be similar to last year’s, when crabbing was good throughout the entire season in most areas of Puget Sound.”

The daily catch limit in Puget Sound is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6¼ inches. Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across. Most marine areas will close the evening of Sept. 3 for a catch assessment. However, Marine Area 7 will remain open through Sept. 30.

Additional information on the crab fishery is available on WDFW’s crab fishing webpage.

In freshwater, a few rivers are open for salmon fishing, including the Hoh, Quillayute and the Sol Duc. Beginning July 1, a few other rivers open for salmon fishing, including the Bogachiel, Calawah and Nisqually.

Trout fishing also is open at several of the region's rivers and streams. Under the statewide rule for trout, there is a two-fish daily limit and a minimum size of eight inches in rivers and streams. However, some of the region's rivers and streams have a rule requiring trout to be at least 14 inches in length to keep. For details on river fishing opportunities, check the Fishing in Washington pamphlet.

Wildlife viewing:  Wolf Haven International (just south of Olympia) will be hosting Howl-Ins on select Saturdays in late July and August from 6-9 p.m. Howl-Ins include sanctuary tours, environmentally friendly children’s activities, an eco-scavenger hunt, Wolf-TV and musical entertainment. For more information on the Howl-Ins, visit Wolf Haven’s website.

Meanwhile, state land managers are urging Washingtonians to avoid doing anything that might spark a wildfire. Unattended campfires, fireworks, faulty vehicle or motorcycle mufflers, careless disposal of cigarettes, and outdoor burning are among the common sources of wildfire starts in the state.

General rules for lands owned or managed by WDFW are described in the department’s public conduct rules. Fireworks are prohibited and campfires are limited to three feet in diameter and three feet high under those rules.

Fireworks are also prohibited on forestlands owned by the Washington Department of Natural Resource (DNR), which has imposed a burn ban from July 1 through Sept. 30. Despite rain and cool weather, DNR has already suppressed approximately 143 fires that have burned nearly 872 acres on state lands.

 “The major wildfires in Colorado and New Mexico remind us how destructive they can be to our homes and lives,” said Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Public Lands. “We urge everyone to exercise caution with any fire-related activities this holiday weekend.”

The sound is fishing really well right now. Fishing from the beach is best and using bait fish patterns for sea run cutthroat is productive.

Winter has arrived, but anglers still have opportunities to hook hatchery steelhead on several streams and blackmouth salmon in Puget Sound.

Of course, weather can be a factor in making decisions on where to fish. “Hatchery steelhead fishing should continue to be decent in early January,” said John Long, statewide salmon manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “But if the rivers are out of shape, anglers might want to head out onto Puget Sound and fish for blackmouth salmon.”

Areas currently open for salmon fishing include marine areas 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner) and 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). Anglers fishing those marine areas have a two-salmon daily limit, but must release wild chinook salmon.

Long recommends fishing the waters around the San Juan Islands, where catch rates traditionally are some of the highest during the winter. Later in the month, anglers also might want to consider fishing Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet), which opens for salmon Jan. 16.

Before heading out, anglers can check creel reports for information on catch and effort in Puget Sound. Recreational fishery samplers with WDFW collect the information each week at fishing access sites throughout Puget Sound.

The Puget Sound crab fishery closes at sunset on Dec. 31, and crabbers are reminded that they are required to report their winter catch to WDFW by Feb. 1. Reports are due for the winter season, whether or not crabbers actually fished or caught Dungeness crab. To submit catch reports, crabbers may send their catch record card to WDFW by mail or file their report on the department’s licensing website. The mailing address is WDFW CRC Unit, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091. The online reporting system is available Jan. 1-Feb. 1. For more information on catch record cards, visit WDFW’s catch record card webpage.

Winter is prime time to jig for squid in Puget Sound. Good spots include the Elliott Bay Pier in Seattle and the Edmonds Pier. More information is available on the department’s squid fishing webpage. Information on fishing piers is available here.