Puget Sound, Washington Fishing Report Today

Puget Sound, Washington Fishing Report Today

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Puget Sound, Washington Fishing Report Today episodes

  • Puget Sound Early Summer: Riding the Ebb for Coho and Bottomfish
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’re coming off the back side of the morning tide, and the moving water has been the ticket. NOAA tide tables show a solid ebb rolling through first light in central Sound, with softer exchanges mid‑day before an evening push. Work those current edges and rips; slack has been predictably slow.
    Weather’s classic early summer Sound stuff: cool start in the low to mid‑50s, climbing into the mid‑60s with high clouds and light onshore breeze, 5–10 knots. Most forecasts are calling it dry, with just a hint of marine layer hanging around the straits early. Sunrise hit around that 5:10–5:15 window, with sunset near 9:10–9:20, so you’ve got long low‑light stretches to play the bite.
    Inshore, resident coho and a few early ocean fish have been showing in decent numbers. Reports out of the central basin have guys picking up 2–4 silvers on half‑day runs, mostly cookie‑cutter 2–4 pounders with the odd bigger fish mixed in. Blackmouth retention rules are still tight in many areas, so check regs before you bonk anything that looks like a feeder king.
    Bottomfish have been steady. West side of Whidbey and the deeper humps off Point No Point are giving up good mixes of flounder and a few legal lingcod before the closures bite down in certain Marine Areas. Most crews are seeing enough action to keep kids and casual anglers happy—nothing epic, but not a grind.
    Best producers for salmon have been small 2–3 inch spoons and hootchies behind 11‑inch flashers in green glow, UV purple, and cop‑car patterns. Herring‑aid style spoons trolled 25–60 feet on the wire over 80–140 feet of water have been consistent. Where bait’s stacked, a cut‑plug herring or anchovy still gets the better‑quality fish—just run it tight to the gear and keep your turns wide.
    For bottomfish, 4–6 ounce lead‑head jigs dressed with white or root‑beer curly tails have been doing work, especially bounced along rocky breaks on the flood. Whole herring or strip baits on a simple hi‑low rig will out‑fish plastics when the current eases. Squid strips have been the sleeper bait for folks drifting the sand flats.
    Couple of local hot spots to circle on the chart:
    – Point No Point: Working well on the ebb, with bait stacked along the drop. Troll north–south along the contour; stay just inside the heavy tide line and watch for bird life.
    – Possession Bar: Classic early‑season stop. Work the east side on the flood, west side on the ebb. Start shallow and slide off as the sun gets higher; fish are moving up and down the bar with the light and the bait.
    Inside the ship canals and lower rivers, cutthroat have been nipping at small spinners and sand‑shrimp‑tipped jigs where the freshwater meets the salt. Early morning is best before the boat traffic and paddle crowd get things stirred up.
    If you’re heading out, keep an eye on the regs, run barbless, and mind those release techniques—especially with the mix of wild and hatchery fish in the nets right now.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing reports and tips.
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    4 min
  • Early Summer Coho and Chinook: Puget Sound Tides and Low-Light Bites
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’re sitting on a classic early‑summer pattern around the Sound: cool, gray morning marine layer giving way to filtered sun, light southwest breeze, and air temps working from the low 50s into the mid 60s. The National Weather Service notes only a slight chance of drizzle early and relatively calm seas inside the Sound, with a bit more chop out toward Possession and Point No Point in the afternoon as the tide starts pushing.
    Sunrise is right around 5:10 a.m. with sunset close to 9:10 p.m., giving you a long fishing window. Low light at dawn and again in the last two hours of the day is still your best bet for aggressive fish, especially in the top 30 feet of the water column.
    Tides are running a moderate exchange today on the Seattle/Tacoma stretch: a pre‑dawn low, building to a solid mid‑morning high, easing into an afternoon drop. Think of that first big push of incoming as your prime bite window for salmon and bottomfish along the edges of rips and current seams.
    Resident coho and early Chinook around central and north Sound have been reasonably steady. Local reports out of Edmonds and Shilshole say anglers trolling 3‑inch Coho Killers and small white or green‑glow hoochies behind 11‑inch flashers at 25–60 feet are picking up fish, with the better action on the flood. A few keepable hatchery Chinook are showing on the deeper ledges, especially off Jeff Head and Kingston, with most of the rest being shakers you’ll want to release quickly.
    Blackmouth and larger Chinook have been coming on larger spoons and plugs fished deeper — 80 to 140 feet — on downriggers. Think Irish Cream, Cookies and Cream, or Herring Aid spoons, or a 4‑inch Tomic‑style plug in baitfish patterns. If you’re running bait, a tight‑rolling green-label herring or anchovy in a helmet behind a flasher is still tough to beat. Shorten your leader a bit in the cloudy water for more kick.
    Bottomfish and lingcod are still a solid option where open. Anglers working rocky structure and steep breaks around possession bars and reef areas have been doing well with 4–6 inch swimbaits in white, root beer, and perch patterns on 2–4 oz jig heads, bounced right along the bottom on the last half of the ebb and first push of the flood. Herring strips and sand shrimp on dropper rigs are producing for flounder and the odd cabezon on softer flats.
    Sea‑run cutthroat fishing has picked up along the beaches. Folks walking the shoreline around Lincoln Park, Golden Gardens, and up toward Edmonds are moving fish on small olive and white clouser‑style flies, 2–3 inch minnow patterns, and tiny metal spoons. Work the current edges and points as the tide pushes in, and keep your retrieve lively with a few pauses.
    For bait, herring remains king for salmon if you can find good trays; anchovies are a close second. Tip smaller spoons and hoochies with a sliver of herring or anchovy if the bite is tentative. For shore anglers, fresh shrimp, sandworms, and clam necks under a slip sinker will keep you into flounder and the occasional dogfish.
    A couple of hot spots to focus on right now:
    • Jeff Head: Consistent resident coho and the occasional legal Chinook on the morning flood, trolling 2.5–3 mph, 25–90 feet on the wire, working the contour edges.
    • Possession Bar: Work the east side on the first half of the flood and the west side on the ebb for Chinook and bottomfish. Watch your sounder and stay near bait balls; most bites are coming tight to structure in 80–140 feet.
    That’s the word from around Puget Sound. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing reports and tips.
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    5 min
  • Puget Sound Summer Bite: Coho, Cutthroat, and Lingcod on the Rise
    Artificial Lure here with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’ll start with the big picture. A cool, gray morning on the Sound with typical early-summer marine layer, light wind under 10 knots, and calm to slight chop. Expect mild temps in the 50s pushing into the 60s by afternoon, with a chance of the ceiling lifting to partial sun. Sunrise around early 5 a.m., sunset close to 9 p.m., giving you a long window to work those tide swings.
    Tides are running classic summer mixed: a decent morning flood followed by a mid‑day high, then a draining afternoon ebb that really gets the current moving on the points and rips. Plan on slower action during slack, with the bite picking up hard on the first push of the flood and again on the front end of the afternoon ebb, especially along current seams and contour breaks.
    Fish activity has been steadily improving. Resident coho and a few early ocean coho are nosing around mid‑Sound, plus the usual mix of blackmouth-sized Chinook—check your local emergency rules, as seasons and size limits are changing constantly out here. Lingcod and rockfish action has been solid on the deeper structure where still open, and sea‑run cutthroat have been cruising the beaches shadowing bait.
    Recent catch chatter from local docks and marinas: anglers trolling 50–120 feet have been picking up decent numbers of coho with an occasional legal Chinook mixed in. Beach guys are reporting multiple cutthroat per tide when the bait shows, with fish mostly in the 10–16 inch class. Lingcod catches have included a good number of shorts with enough keepers to make it worth working the rocky humps and ledges.
    Best lures right now: for salmon, small 3–3.5 inch spoons in green/white, Irish cream, and herring patterns behind an 11‑inch flasher, or hoochies in glow green or UV purple. If you like to run bait, cut‑plug herring or anchovy behind a flasher is still king when the water’s got some color. For beach cutthroat, go with sparse baitfish patterns on the fly rod—clam candy, white/olive shock and awe—or small 1/4‑ounce metal in pearl, sand lance, or candlefish patterns. For lingcod, large curly‑tail grubs or swimbaits in root beer, motor oil, or white on a 2–4 ounce jig head bounced hard on the bottom will do the trick, and herring or squid on a mooching rig still puts big fish in the net.
    Hot spots to consider:
    First, Point No Point on the Kitsap side. That long sand and gravel point sets up gorgeous tide rips on the ebb, and when the bait stacks, salmon and cutthroat both move in. Troll just off the edge in 60–140 feet for salmon, or work the beach with flies and small spoons for cutts.
    Second, West Point off Magnolia near Seattle. The drop‑off there funnels current and bait, and it’s been producing consistent resident coho plus the odd Chinook. Run your gear tight to the structure on the incoming, and slide a little deeper on the ebb to stay on the fish.
    Boat anglers, keep an eye on your sounder and don’t be afraid to adjust depth as the light changes; those salmon will ride higher early and late and drop deeper mid‑day. Beach anglers, treat those sea‑run cutthroat gently—barbless hooks, quick releases, and keep them in the water when you can so this fishery stays strong.
    That’s it from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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    4 min
  • Early Summer Salmon Heat Up: Tides, Coho, and Chinook Around Central Sound
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’ve got a classic early-summer pattern setting up. Around Seattle and central Sound, NOAA’s tide tables show a moderate morning flood swinging into an early afternoon high, then easing into a late-day ebb. That moving water window mid-morning and again toward evening has been lining up nicely with the bite.
    Weather-wise, the National Weather Service is calling for mostly dry skies, light onshore wind, and temps climbing through the 60s into low 70s on the interior. It may start with a little marine haze but burning off mid-morning. Sunrise is right around the very early 5 o’clock hour, with sunset landing in the long-evening 9 o’clock hour, so you’ve got a big low-light window to play with.
    Salmon action in the marine areas that are open has been a bit spotty but improving. Recent checks from local tackle shops and charter chatter around Marine Area 10 and 11 report resident coho and a few legal chinook picked off rips and current seams, especially on the morning flood. Most fish have been cookie‑cutter 3–5 pound coho with an occasional low‑teens chinook. Troll 30–80 feet down depending on light and water color.
    Best producers: small green glow or UV hoochies behind an 11‑inch flasher, or 3–3.5 inch spoons in Irish Cream, Cop Car, or green/white patterns. Add a small strip of herring or anchovy if you want extra scent. For bait guys, a whole or cut‑plug herring behind a flasher still gets it done when the water’s got a bit of chop.
    Around the edges, bottomfish and inshore species are keeping rods bent. Lingcod is wrapping up in some spots, but the last few reports from the Tacoma Narrows and the rocky structure off Point Defiance have produced decent numbers of keepers plus plenty of undersized fish. Standard fare: 4–6 ounce lead heads with white or root-beer grub tails, or live sand dabs and small perch where allowed. Rockfish opportunities are limited by regulation in many parts of the Sound, so double‑check the rules before you drop.
    Sea‑run cutthroat fishing has been quietly solid along the beaches from Southworth up through the West Seattle and Edmonds shorelines. Fly anglers have been doing well with sparse baitfish patterns and small shrimp imitations on intermediate lines, while spin folks score with 1/4‑ounce Kastmasters, small olive or brown marabou jigs, and tiny soft‑plastic paddle tails. Look for nervous bait and work the drop‑offs on a flooding tide.
    Two hot spots worth a look right now:
    • Point Defiance/Tacoma Narrows: Good current, classic structure for lingering chinook and lingcod. Work the slag pile, Owen Beach side, and the Narrows edges on the turn of the tide.
    • Kingston/Edmonds line: Resident coho and the random chinook along the contour lines. Troll north–south in 90–140 feet, keeping gear in the lower third of the water column during bright sun, higher in low light.
    Bait choices across the board: herring and anchovy for salmon, sand shrimp or squid strips for anything poking around bottom, and small herring or pile worms if you’re messing with piers and piling fish. Lures: spoons, hoochies, and needlefish-style metals for salmon; lead‑head jigs and swimbaits for bottomfish; light metals and soft plastics for beach cutthroat.
    That’s the scoop from around Puget Sound. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe.
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    4 min
  • Puget Sound Summer Salmon: Tide Changes and First Light Glory
    This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    NOAA tide tables for Seattle and Tacoma show a classic summer swing today: a decent pre‑dawn high, dropping to a late‑morning low, then rebounding to a late‑afternoon high. That gives you two prime windows: the **last two hours of the outgoing** and the **first two of the flood**, especially around narrows and points where bait gets funneled.
    National Weather Service marine forecasts are calling for light morning wind, generally under 10 knots, with a mid‑day westerly picking up in the central Sound. Skies are mixed clouds and sun, air temps in the 50s–60s, and relatively calm seas early. Sunrise is right around 5 a.m., with sunset close to 9 p.m., so there’s a long, low‑light shoulder on both ends of the day.
    According to WDFW creel checks and recent dock chatter, chinook fishing in Marine Area 10 has been fair to good, with a mix of clipped hatchery fish and a few bigger wilds that must be released. Most keepers have been 6–12 pounds, with an occasional teen‑class fish. Coho are just starting to trickle in as incidental by‑catch, mainly smaller residents.
    Bottomfish action has been solid: anglers are bringing in good numbers of legal lingcod from deeper structure before the sun gets high, plus plenty of black rockfish and a few cabezon. Inshore, the eelgrass beds are holding sea‑run cutthroat and some early bait—sand lance and small herring—drawing in salmon and trout on the flood.
    For salmon, the most consistent setups have been **3.0–3.5 inch spoons** in green‑glow, Irish cream, and cop‑car patterns behind an 11‑inch flasher, trolled 80–140 feet down over 120–250 feet of water. Herring strip and whole herring in a helmet, slow‑rolled behind a glow flasher, are also producing, especially at first light. If you’re jigging, 2–3 ounce metal jigs in candlefish colors have been money on suspended fish.
    Lingcod and rockfish are chewing on 4–6 inch swimbaits in white, motor‑oil, and root‑beer, bounced right on the rocks and ledges. A lot of locals are also doing well with live sand dabs or herring for lings—just make sure you’re within current regs. For sea‑run cutthroat, small olive‑over‑white Clousers, 2–3 inch baitfish patterns, or 1/8‑ounce dart heads with soft plastics are doing the trick, especially on a moving tide along beach drop‑offs.
    A couple of hot spots to circle:
    • **Point No Point**: Good chinook sign on the edges of the bar during the tide changes. Work the 90–140 foot contour with spoons and herring; watch for bait balls and birds.
    • **Dalco Passage**: Producing lings off the rocky structure and a mixed bag of salmon along the drop‑off. Hit the slack‑to‑flood with jigs for lings, then switch to trolling gear once the current builds.
    Closer to town, Jefferson Head and West Point have been giving up fish early, but they’re getting scratchy by mid‑morning. Get there in the dark, run glow gear, and be prepared to move if you’re not marking bait.
    Overall fish activity has been best in the low‑light windows with a pronounced bump on the first push of the flood. Mid‑day is tougher—downsize your gear, fish deeper, and target structure if you’re staying out.
    Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.
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    4 min
  • Early Summer Coho and Cutthroat: Puget Sound's Prime Bite is Here
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’ve got a classic early summer pattern setting up around the Sound. Weather today is mild and marine-influenced: cool, cloudy mornings with a light onshore breeze, burning off to partial sun and highs in the low to mid 60s. Expect calm to light chop early, building to a bit more wind in the afternoon as that westerly fills in through the Strait.
    Tides are running on a decent mixed cycle right now. Around Seattle and central Sound you’re looking at a healthy morning flood pushing in before midday, then a dropping tide through the afternoon. Down south toward Tacoma Narrows and up north toward Possession, the currents will be stronger around those tide changes, so plan your sets to fish the edges, not the peak rips.
    Sunrise is early, right around the 5 a.m. mark, with sunset close to 9 p.m. That long low-light window has been the prime bite. First light through the first two hours of the flood has produced the steadiest action; the evening flood has been good too, especially when the wind lays down.
    Fish activity has picked up nicely. Anglers are reporting resident coho and the odd early ocean coho pushing into the central and northern Sound, plus plenty of sea‑run cutthroat along the beaches. Lingcod season is wrapping up or closed in some areas, so check regs, but where open, the last few days have still given up legal fish on structure. Flounder and other bottomfish are abundant on sandy flats for those looking to bend a rod.
    Recent catches: local reports and dock talk point to decent numbers of cookie‑cutter resident coho in the 2–4 pound range off West Point, Shilshole, and Possession Bar, with a few larger fish mixed in. Beach anglers from Lincoln Park up through Meadowdale have found willing cutthroat, mostly 10–16 inches, with a few bigger slabs. Bottomfish guys in Elliott Bay and south Sound have been boxing good counts of flounder with the occasional sole and small rockfish where legal.
    Lure selection has been pretty standard for this time of year. For trolling coho, run small 3–3.5 inch spoons in greens, chartreuse, and cop car patterns behind a flasher, or try hootchies in glow/green or UV white. Shorten leaders a bit if the bite is soft. For beach coho and cutthroat, tie on sparse baitfish patterns, small metal jigs, or 1/4–1/2 ounce epoxy jigs in olive/white, sand lance, or pink. Work them with a fast, darting retrieve.
    Best baits: if you’re mooching, cut‑plug herring is still king. Whole or cut herring on a slow, controlled drop has taken both resident coho and the odd chinook where open. For bottomfish, strips of herring, squid, or sand shrimp on a simple dropper rig will keep you busy. Tip your metal jigs with a small strip if the fish are fussy.
    Couple of hot spots to circle on your chart:
    • West Point to Shilshole: troll 60–120 feet down on the morning flood for coho; watch for bait balls and bird activity.
    • Possession Bar: fish the edges of the bar on the incoming; stay mobile and follow the bait and tide lines.
    For beach anglers, Dash Point and the stretches around Point No Point have both been producing cutthroat and the occasional early coho when the current’s moving.
    Overall, think early, think moving water, and keep your gear in that top half of the water column where the feed is. Work with the tides, not against them, and you’ll find fish.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more local fishing intel.
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    4 min
  • Puget Sound Early Summer Bite: Coho, Cutthroat, and Bottom Fish on the Mid-Day Flood
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’re sitting on a cool, gray early-summer morning around the Sound. Light onshore breeze, patchy low clouds, and that classic filtered sun that never quite commits. Air temps are running in the mid‑50s at daybreak, pushing into the low 60s by afternoon. Most marine forecasts are calling for light winds under 10 knots and relatively calm chop, so it’s a good day for small boats and kayaks if you watch the tide and traffic.
    Sunrise is right around 5:10 a.m. with sunset about 9:10 p.m., giving you a long, workable window. The early bite has been better on the first light flood, with another decent window on the evening ebb once the boat traffic backs off.
    Tides today are mild but moving enough to matter. Expect a low in the early morning, building to a stronger mid‑day flood, then a moderate evening ebb. On most of the mid‑Sound stations, that mid‑day flood is what’s been turning the fish on—especially the resident coho and sea‑run cutthroat tight to the beaches.
    Speaking of fish, overall activity in the last few days has been solid for June. Local reports out of Shilshole and Edmonds marinas mention steady catches of **resident coho** and a mix of **blackmouth‑sized Chinook** and shakers on the deeper rips. Beach anglers around Lincoln Park, Golden Gardens, and down on Vashon’s west side have been picking up **sea‑run cutthroat** and the odd coho when the bait’s pushed shallow. In the south Sound, folks near Tacoma Narrows have seen good action on **flounder**, **sole**, and schoolie **lingcod** on the rockier edges.
    For numbers: boat crews trolling mid‑Sound in 80–140 feet have been reporting a handful of legal salmon per trip when they stay on bait, with plenty of undersized fish keeping rods moving. Beach anglers are seeing one to three decent cutthroat per tide window if they keep moving and match the hatch. Bottom fishers soaking bait near Narrows and Point Defiance have been putting several flounder and sand dabs in the bucket in just a couple hours.
    Best offerings right now:
    - For salmon: small **Coho Killer** or **Kingfisher** spoons in green/white or Irish cream behind a flasher, or 3–3.5" **hoochies** in UV purple or glow green over herring strips. Trolling 20–40 feet off bottom on the flood has been the ticket.
    - For beach coho and cutts: **chartreuse‑over‑white clousers**, sparse **sand lance patterns**, or 1/4–3/8 oz metal like **Puget Pounders** and **Kastmasters** in candlefish colors. If you’re gear fishing, 2–3" soft plastics on a light jig head in olive/pearl have been deadly.
    - For bottom fish: **herring strips**, **sand shrimp**, or **clam necks** on simple hi‑low rigs are putting up steady flounder and sole. Tip your hooks with a bit of Gulp if the crabs are thick.
    Hot spots to put on your list:
    - **Possession Bar**: Classic mid‑June structure. Work the edges in 90–130 feet on the mid‑day flood for resident coho and the chance at a chinook. Watch your sonar for balls of bait—when you mark herring, don’t leave.
    - **Tacoma Narrows / Point Defiance area**: Strong current seams, rocky drops, and plenty of structure. Great place for bottom fish with the chance at a salmon cruising the edges on the ebb. Fish the softer current windows and avoid standing right in the heaviest rip if you’re in a smaller boat.
    Around the beaches, keep your eyes peeled for birds dipping on sand lance and herring fry tight to shore. When the tide starts pushing and the bait stacks up, that’s when the coho and cutthroat slide in. Make long, low‑profile casts, keep your retrieve quick and erratic, and be ready for that grab right at your feet.
    That’s the word from around Puget Sound today. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
    This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    4 min
  • Puget Sound Early Summer: Coho Awakening and Bottom Fish Action
    This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’re riding a mild early-summer pattern now: light morning breeze, generally calm seas, and comfortable temps building into the 60s by afternoon. Local marine forecasts call for patchy low clouds early, burning off to filtered sun and good visibility. Winds are light from the north in the morning, picking up a bit mid‑day, so plan your small‑craft runs early.
    Tides today are running classic Puget Sound “yo‑yo” style. Around the central Sound you’re looking at a decent morning flood pushing in before shifting to an afternoon ebb. That moving water window around the tide changes is your prime time; the slack periods have been noticeably slower for both bait and lures. Up north toward Everett and south toward Tacoma Narrows the timing shifts a bit, but the same rule holds: fish the first and last couple hours of current.
    Salmon action is slowly waking up. Resident coho and a few early ocean fish have been showing on the West Side of Whidbey and along the shipping lanes off Jeff Head and Kingston. Most of the bites have been in the top 60 feet of the water column, with smaller “resident‑size” coho dominating, plus the occasional legal. Anglers running 3‑inch silver/green spoons or white hootchies behind UV flashers are doing the best, especially on the morning flood. A few folks dragging cut‑plug herring behind a flasher are also picking up fish when the wind lays down.
    Bottom fishing has been the most reliable game. Lingcod reports are tapering a bit after the early rush, but there are still fish hanging on rock piles, reefs, and steep ledges from Possession Bar to Point Defiance. Large white or root‑beer swimbaits on 2–4 oz jig heads, and 4–6 inch curly‑tail grubs tipped with a bit of herring strip, are producing. For those targeting kelp greenling and rockfish where legal outside the main Sound, simple dropper rigs with strips of squid or sand shrimp are hard to beat.
    Flounder and sand dab action is hot for anyone with kids or just wanting bent rods. Inside Elliott Bay, around Alki, and along the shallower flats near Edmonds and Everett, folks are filling buckets using small pieces of worm, clam, or squid on two‑hook bottom rigs. Light spinning rods, 1–2 oz weight, and you’re in business.
    Crabbing is on everyone’s mind as the summer season approaches. While the main Puget Sound crab opener hasn’t hit yet in many areas, test pots and reports from folks with non‑Sound access are encouraging: lots of legal Dungeness in 60–90 feet on sandy bottoms. When it opens, fish‑based baits like oily salmon carcasses, turkey legs, or chicken backs in a well‑rigged pot will be the go‑to. Plan your sets on the last of the flood through the first of the ebb to keep pots from walking.
    A couple of current hot spots:
    • Jeff Head and the Kingston bar: good early‑morning coho action on the flood, plus some decent bottom fish along the edges. Troll spoons or hootchies at 25–60 feet on the wire, watch your speed over ground, and stay close to bait marks.
    • Point Defiance and the Clay Banks: solid for lingcod and other bottom dwellers, especially on the change of tide. Drop big swimbaits or metal jigs right on the structure and work them just off bottom; bring extra gear, because the rocks eat tackle.
    Best all‑around lures this week: 3‑inch silver/green or silver/blue trolling spoons, white or glow hootchies, 4–6 inch white swimbaits for lings, and small chartreuse soft plastics for flounder. For bait, herring—either cut‑plug or strip—is still king, with squid and sand shrimp close behind.
    That’s the word from around the Sound. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • Puget Sound Early June: Small Spoons, Rising Tide, and Sea-Run Cutts on the Bite
    This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report.
    We’ll start with tides. Around central Puget Sound today you’re looking at a decent morning flood pushing in before midday and easing into a weaker afternoon ebb. Up north toward Possession and Admiralty the flood comes a bit earlier and runs harder; down south toward Tacoma Narrows it’s more exaggerated, with strong current in the slots. Plan your drifts and mooching passes to work that last half of the flood and first of the ebb.
    Weather-wise, expect classic June marine layer: cool, overcast morning, light south to southwest breeze and improving visibility late morning as the low clouds lift. Afternoon brings a little chop on the open reaches but mostly fishable conditions. Air temps hover in the upper 50s to low 60s, so bring a shell and fingerless gloves if you’re running far at first light.
    Sunrise comes early, just after 5 AM, with usable gray light a bit before that; sunset is late, close to 9 PM, giving you a long evening window for tide changes and bait balls pushing shallow.
    Fish activity has picked up with the stable weather. Resident coho are showing in central Sound rips and off points with good current. Anglers have been picking up a mix of shaker and keeper blackmouth and resident coho on small 3- to 3.5-inch silver/green spoons behind flashers trolled 60–120 feet down over 150–250 feet of water. Hardware out-fishes bait right now when the water’s clear.
    Bottom fishing has been consistent. Lingcod reports from the last open days around rocky structure and ledges were solid: fish in the low- to mid-20-inch range and a few bigger models taken on 4- to 6-inch white or root beer swimbaits, and live or fresh herring. Kelp greenling and rockfish around legal areas have been chewing on small metal jigs and bits of squid.
    Sea-run cutthroat in the South Sound and Kitsap beaches are active on the flood. Fly anglers are doing well with small baitfish patterns—olive-over-white clousers and sparse sand lance imitations—stripped fast over two to five feet of water. Gear folks are finding cutts on 1/8- to 1/4-ounce casting spoons and tiny minnow plugs in perch and herring colors.
    As for bait and lures, think small and flashy. Best producers:
    - Coho/blackmouth: 3-inch silver/green or cop-car spoons, green glow hoochies behind UV flashers, and small anchovies in helmet rigs where bait is allowed.
    - Ling and bottom fish: 4- to 6-inch paddle-tail swimbaits in white, herring, or root beer, plus metal jigs bounced tight to structure.
    - Cutthroat: 1/8-ounce chrome or copper spoons, small jerkbaits in natural baitfish colors, and sparse olive-over-white flies.
    A couple of local hot spots to circle on your chart:
    - Possession Bar: Work the edges on the flood, especially the west side. Start on top in 120–140 feet and slide off as the sun gets higher, trolling spoons near the bottom for resident coho and blackmouth.
    - Point No Point: Classic early-season bet. Fish the morning flood, running north–south passes in 80–140 feet. Watch for birds picking and bait on the surface, then tighten your turns and stay on the marks.
    - For beach anglers, Narrows Park and the south-end islands have been kicking out nice sea-run cutts on the incoming.
    Pick your window around the best current, keep your gear small and bright, and you’ve got a real shot at steady action.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report.
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    4 min
  • Puget Sound Early Summer Bite: Tides, Low Light, and Where the Fish Are Stacking Today
    Morning, folks—**Artificial Lure** here with your Puget Sound fishing run-down for today. Conditions around the Sound are lining up for an early bite, with the best action most likely coming around the moving tide and the low-light windows at dawn and dusk.
    For **tides**, the key is to fish the push and the first of the ebb or flood, especially anywhere bait is stacking along current edges, points, and channel mouths. I don’t have a live tide table in front of me, so check your local tide app before you launch, but in Puget Sound the bite usually improves when water starts moving and fish can ambush bait.
    For **weather**, expect classic early-summer marine conditions: cool mornings, brighter midday light, and a chance for overcast pockets that can keep fish active longer. If the wind stays light, that’s a big plus for working jigs, spoons, and bait rigs cleanly in the tidal flow.
    **Sunrise and sunset** matter today: get on the water for first light, and plan another window in the last hour before dark. In the Sound, that low-light period often means better top-to-bottom movement and less boat pressure.
    On the **fish report**, the main local targets right now are **chum salmon**, **coho**, **pink salmon where open**, **flounder**, **perch**, and the occasional **lingcod or rockfish** in the right marine-area structure. Recent catches in Puget Sound waters have typically been a mix of hatchery kings and coho in season, with bottomfish showing better in the deeper ledges and sandy flats. If you’re hearing rods pop, it’s usually baitfish getting pushed by tide lines, not a random bite.
    Best **lures** today:
    - **Small spoons** in chrome, green, or chartreuse for salmon
    - **Hoochies** behind flashers for trolling in current
    - **Soft plastics on jig heads** for flounder and perch
    - **Leadered bait rigs** with a subtle presentation when fish are hesitant
    - **Twitching jigs** near current seams if salmon are showing on the surface
    Best **bait**:
    - **Herring** is still the classic move for salmon
    - **Baitfish strips** or **cut-plug herring** when the water has color
    - **Sand shrimp** for bottomfish and perch
    - **Squid strips** when you want a tougher bait that stays on the hook
    A couple of **hot spots** to keep on your short list:
    - **Jefferson Head and the nearby point structure**, where tide rips can concentrate bait and salmon
    - **Shilshole/Ballard area edges**, especially when bait is moving through the channel and near the drop-offs
    - **Point No Point** is another strong bet when current and bait line up
    - **The south Sound shorelines and ferry lanes** can also produce if you’re timing the tide right
    If I were fishing it myself, I’d start with a herring setup or a small spoon at first light, then switch to a jig or bottom rig once the sun gets higher and the bite tightens up. Watch for birds, bait spray, and nervous water—that’s where the fish are feeding.
    Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to **subscribe** for more local fishing intel. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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    4 min

About Puget Sound, Washington Fishing Report Today

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"Puget Sound, Washington Fishing Today" offers anglers the latest updates on fishing conditions, tips, and hotspots in the Puget Sound area. Tune in daily for expert insights, local weather forecasts, and the best bait and tackle recommendations to enhance your fishing adventures in Washington's stunning aquatic landscape. Stay informed and make the most of your time on the water with this essential fishing podcast.