This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report for September 24th, 2025.

On the water this morning, conditions are comfortable, with a light north wind picking up to 10 knots as the day progresses and gentle waves under two feet—perfect for getting out before the sun crests the horizon. Sunrise is right around 6:58 AM and sunset sets the tone for evening bites at 7:06 PM.

Today’s tide chart around Tacoma and central Sound is classic for salmon and bottom fishers alike: low tide at 6:12 AM (1.12 ft), a big flood to nearly 10 feet by 2:54 PM, then a small ebb in the evening. These dramatic moves stack up bait and turn on the predatory fish, especially chinook and coho.

Chinook are in their late-season showing. The best action is often first light; locals in Marine Area 11 swear by hitting the water before dawn and slowing their presentation for those staging kings. Vertical jigging along the steep slopes at Clay Banks, especially toward the NW tip, is producing some of the best results. Also, trolling large-profile hoochies or running dropper jigs in 90 to 120 feet has been key. According to PNW BestLife, the bigger staging fish are in, you’ll mark more than you’ll hook, but persistence pays off. Don't overlook Point Dalco north to the Girl Scout Camp, or the edge at Dolphin Point during the early bite.

Coho are red-hot right now—September always brings in the bigger B-run fish. Holy Moly Outdoors points out that after the first good September rain, the largest coho stage in tidewater before moving upstream, making this one of the best weeks for saltwater coho in years. Downrigger setups with SpinFish lures in “rotten banana” on one rod, and Yakima Bait Cut Plugs in “Seahawk” on the other, are the ticket. Morning flasher colors? Lean heavy on green and glow, or switch to UV purple onion as the sun gets high. Combine 30-inch leaders with hoochies or needlefish squid for deadly results. For the shotgun/dropper rod, try a “coho killer” spoon in glow green or orange, or a Wicked Lure spinner. Sweeten everything with herring or tuna scent—local sharpies report triple hookups last derby using this mix.

If you’re crabbing, today is prime time. According to Whidbey News-Times, catch rates are still solid through September, with over a million pounds of Dungeness coming out of the Sound each year. Chicken, fish carcass, or turkey legs make great bait—get creative and pack those pots deep around Cornet Bay, snapshot spots off Shoreline, or inside Quartermaster Harbor. Even shore-bound crabbers are finding keepers by tying off a juicy bait and netting fast.

Surf and pier anglers haven’t been left out: Browns Point and Dash Point piers are seeing heavy crowds and regular coho catches on buzz bombs, spinners, and needlefish jigs. For pink salmon, the pulse is slowing but you’ll get stragglers using pink flies or twitching jigs at first light. Redondo and the Gig Harbor flats are still producing limits for trolls running flashy gear.

Today’s hotspots:
- Clay Banks and Tacoma Yacht Club area for early-morning kings
- Point Dalco and Dolphin Point for a mix of chinook and coho
- Quartermaster Harbor and Redondo for a solid late-season king bite and piling up coho

The bite’s best on a flood tide, especially mid-morning as the water pushes baitfish tight to structure and steeper drops.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI