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Puget Sound Fishing Report: Chinook Season Kicks Off, Halibut Biting Strong
Good morning, anglers! Here’s your detailed fishing report for Friday, April 4, 2025, focused on Puget Sound in and around Seattle. With promising conditions and active fisheries, it’s a great time to hit the water.
Weather is ideal for fishing today. Skies are partly cloudy with temperatures starting in the mid-40s, climbing to the mid-50s later this afternoon. Winds are light, creating calm waters across the Sound. Sunrise was at 6:39 AM, and sunset will be at 7:39 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to enjoy. Tidal movement is active today, with an outgoing tide in the morning and an incoming mid-to-late afternoon, so plan your hotspots accordingly.
The big story this week is the start of Chinook salmon season in Marine Areas 10 and 11. Blackmouth Chinook are the prime target, and anglers are reporting good success since the season opened on April 2. Blackmouth are lurking near the bottom at depths of 90 to 200 feet, so keep your gear close to the seabed. Legal-sized Chinook (over 22 inches) are being caught in decent numbers, though remember to release all wild Chinook and chum. The daily limit is two salmon, with one clipped Chinook allowed.
Halibut fishing also kicked off yesterday in some Puget Sound marine areas. While quotas are being monitored, early catches are promising. For halibut, aim for deeper waters around 150 to 300 feet and use bold, scented bait setups to attract sizable fish.
Trolling setups have been the most productive for Chinook. The best lures this season include:
- Silver Horde Kingfisher Lite spoons in the “Cookies and Cream” and “Irish Cream” patterns.
- Tomic Plugs in #602 and #603 colors, fished 30-40 feet back from the downrigger clip.
- Ace Hi Flies and flasher combinations for UV/glow effectiveness.
- For those without downriggers, try mooching with herring or vertical jigging using Puget Pounder Jigs.
Marine Area 10 is a hotbed of activity. Top spots include Jeff Head (fish the south side during an outgoing tide and President’s Point on the incoming tide) and Kingston, where anglers have had success near the ferry terminal and outer bar. In Marine Area 11 near Tacoma, popular sites include Point Defiance’s Slag Pile and Clay Banks during outgoing tides, and Dalco Point off Vashon Island during incoming tides.
Looking ahead, as halibut anglers get started this weekend, keep in mind the one-fish daily limit and always check regulations before heading out. Lingcod and rockfish seasons will also ramp up later this month, so anglers may want to gear up for some excellent bottom-fishing opportunities.
Today’s conditions are shaping up nicely for a productive day on the water. Whether you’re targeting Blackmouth Chinook at rocky underwater banks or halibut in the deeper channels, enjoy the bounty of Puget Sound. Tight lines!
Weather is ideal for fishing today. Skies are partly cloudy with temperatures starting in the mid-40s, climbing to the mid-50s later this afternoon. Winds are light, creating calm waters across the Sound. Sunrise was at 6:39 AM, and sunset will be at 7:39 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to enjoy. Tidal movement is active today, with an outgoing tide in the morning and an incoming mid-to-late afternoon, so plan your hotspots accordingly.
The big story this week is the start of Chinook salmon season in Marine Areas 10 and 11. Blackmouth Chinook are the prime target, and anglers are reporting good success since the season opened on April 2. Blackmouth are lurking near the bottom at depths of 90 to 200 feet, so keep your gear close to the seabed. Legal-sized Chinook (over 22 inches) are being caught in decent numbers, though remember to release all wild Chinook and chum. The daily limit is two salmon, with one clipped Chinook allowed.
Halibut fishing also kicked off yesterday in some Puget Sound marine areas. While quotas are being monitored, early catches are promising. For halibut, aim for deeper waters around 150 to 300 feet and use bold, scented bait setups to attract sizable fish.
Trolling setups have been the most productive for Chinook. The best lures this season include:
- Silver Horde Kingfisher Lite spoons in the “Cookies and Cream” and “Irish Cream” patterns.
- Tomic Plugs in #602 and #603 colors, fished 30-40 feet back from the downrigger clip.
- Ace Hi Flies and flasher combinations for UV/glow effectiveness.
- For those without downriggers, try mooching with herring or vertical jigging using Puget Pounder Jigs.
Marine Area 10 is a hotbed of activity. Top spots include Jeff Head (fish the south side during an outgoing tide and President’s Point on the incoming tide) and Kingston, where anglers have had success near the ferry terminal and outer bar. In Marine Area 11 near Tacoma, popular sites include Point Defiance’s Slag Pile and Clay Banks during outgoing tides, and Dalco Point off Vashon Island during incoming tides.
Looking ahead, as halibut anglers get started this weekend, keep in mind the one-fish daily limit and always check regulations before heading out. Lingcod and rockfish seasons will also ramp up later this month, so anglers may want to gear up for some excellent bottom-fishing opportunities.
Today’s conditions are shaping up nicely for a productive day on the water. Whether you’re targeting Blackmouth Chinook at rocky underwater banks or halibut in the deeper channels, enjoy the bounty of Puget Sound. Tight lines!
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By Quiet. PleaseGood morning, anglers! Here’s your detailed fishing report for Friday, April 4, 2025, focused on Puget Sound in and around Seattle. With promising conditions and active fisheries, it’s a great time to hit the water.
Weather is ideal for fishing today. Skies are partly cloudy with temperatures starting in the mid-40s, climbing to the mid-50s later this afternoon. Winds are light, creating calm waters across the Sound. Sunrise was at 6:39 AM, and sunset will be at 7:39 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to enjoy. Tidal movement is active today, with an outgoing tide in the morning and an incoming mid-to-late afternoon, so plan your hotspots accordingly.
The big story this week is the start of Chinook salmon season in Marine Areas 10 and 11. Blackmouth Chinook are the prime target, and anglers are reporting good success since the season opened on April 2. Blackmouth are lurking near the bottom at depths of 90 to 200 feet, so keep your gear close to the seabed. Legal-sized Chinook (over 22 inches) are being caught in decent numbers, though remember to release all wild Chinook and chum. The daily limit is two salmon, with one clipped Chinook allowed.
Halibut fishing also kicked off yesterday in some Puget Sound marine areas. While quotas are being monitored, early catches are promising. For halibut, aim for deeper waters around 150 to 300 feet and use bold, scented bait setups to attract sizable fish.
Trolling setups have been the most productive for Chinook. The best lures this season include:
- Silver Horde Kingfisher Lite spoons in the “Cookies and Cream” and “Irish Cream” patterns.
- Tomic Plugs in #602 and #603 colors, fished 30-40 feet back from the downrigger clip.
- Ace Hi Flies and flasher combinations for UV/glow effectiveness.
- For those without downriggers, try mooching with herring or vertical jigging using Puget Pounder Jigs.
Marine Area 10 is a hotbed of activity. Top spots include Jeff Head (fish the south side during an outgoing tide and President’s Point on the incoming tide) and Kingston, where anglers have had success near the ferry terminal and outer bar. In Marine Area 11 near Tacoma, popular sites include Point Defiance’s Slag Pile and Clay Banks during outgoing tides, and Dalco Point off Vashon Island during incoming tides.
Looking ahead, as halibut anglers get started this weekend, keep in mind the one-fish daily limit and always check regulations before heading out. Lingcod and rockfish seasons will also ramp up later this month, so anglers may want to gear up for some excellent bottom-fishing opportunities.
Today’s conditions are shaping up nicely for a productive day on the water. Whether you’re targeting Blackmouth Chinook at rocky underwater banks or halibut in the deeper channels, enjoy the bounty of Puget Sound. Tight lines!
Weather is ideal for fishing today. Skies are partly cloudy with temperatures starting in the mid-40s, climbing to the mid-50s later this afternoon. Winds are light, creating calm waters across the Sound. Sunrise was at 6:39 AM, and sunset will be at 7:39 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to enjoy. Tidal movement is active today, with an outgoing tide in the morning and an incoming mid-to-late afternoon, so plan your hotspots accordingly.
The big story this week is the start of Chinook salmon season in Marine Areas 10 and 11. Blackmouth Chinook are the prime target, and anglers are reporting good success since the season opened on April 2. Blackmouth are lurking near the bottom at depths of 90 to 200 feet, so keep your gear close to the seabed. Legal-sized Chinook (over 22 inches) are being caught in decent numbers, though remember to release all wild Chinook and chum. The daily limit is two salmon, with one clipped Chinook allowed.
Halibut fishing also kicked off yesterday in some Puget Sound marine areas. While quotas are being monitored, early catches are promising. For halibut, aim for deeper waters around 150 to 300 feet and use bold, scented bait setups to attract sizable fish.
Trolling setups have been the most productive for Chinook. The best lures this season include:
- Silver Horde Kingfisher Lite spoons in the “Cookies and Cream” and “Irish Cream” patterns.
- Tomic Plugs in #602 and #603 colors, fished 30-40 feet back from the downrigger clip.
- Ace Hi Flies and flasher combinations for UV/glow effectiveness.
- For those without downriggers, try mooching with herring or vertical jigging using Puget Pounder Jigs.
Marine Area 10 is a hotbed of activity. Top spots include Jeff Head (fish the south side during an outgoing tide and President’s Point on the incoming tide) and Kingston, where anglers have had success near the ferry terminal and outer bar. In Marine Area 11 near Tacoma, popular sites include Point Defiance’s Slag Pile and Clay Banks during outgoing tides, and Dalco Point off Vashon Island during incoming tides.
Looking ahead, as halibut anglers get started this weekend, keep in mind the one-fish daily limit and always check regulations before heading out. Lingcod and rockfish seasons will also ramp up later this month, so anglers may want to gear up for some excellent bottom-fishing opportunities.
Today’s conditions are shaping up nicely for a productive day on the water. Whether you’re targeting Blackmouth Chinook at rocky underwater banks or halibut in the deeper channels, enjoy the bounty of Puget Sound. Tight lines!