Most fishermen braving the harsh Northwestern waves and winds in the winter months search for larger game such as juvenile Chinook salmon (often known as blackmouths). If this area could only talk, the stories it would tell, big fish, hundreds of salmon derbies, countless hours of fishing enjoyed by thousands of anglers. You can also come here for starry flounder and sand sole with some bait on the bottom of the soft mudflats. All waters south of northernmost Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Puget Sound clam, mussel, and oyster season. Facebook23Tweet0Pin0 By Margo Greenman Surrounded by water, forests and mountains, there are lots of wild places across the Pacific Northwest where you can forage for your own food. They will stage throughout June as well. Due to COVID-19, some recreation areas may still be closed or have limited facilities. Shore fishing Puget Sound and Hood Canal for ‘harvest trout,’ aka cutthroat Originally published November 1, 2017 at 6:00 am Point No Point, at … It’s only accessible by water, but the boat ride is gorgeous. During odd years additional pink salmon can be kept each day to allow anglers to keep a few more fish for the grill or smoker. South Sound Skiffs is a Tacoma Seattle skiff based catch and release guided saltwater fly fishing company. Try fishing with a bobber and anchovy to chum passing by. Fish the west side along the drop off that starts at 30 feet and falls off to 300 feet for both blackmouth and summer Chinook. Of the 5 salmon species that grace our Puget Sound waters in ... packed with boats and equally busy public beaches and piers all the way from the Strait of Juan de Fuca down to the south sound. Accessible by Shoreline Summer Chinook and coho are caught here by mooching and trolling as well. Please be respect and be aware of private property or tidelands. During odd years, pink salmon returning must first pass through most of Puget Sound, making them accessible to small boat and shore anglers that uses only basic fishing gear and techniques. Directions may not include direct access routes. Dolphin Point and Point Beales east of Vashon Island Both Dolphin Point and Point Beales are popular salmon fishing areas in the northern reaches of Marine Area 11. Although it escaped the attention of fly fisherman for many years, the Puget Sound affords some excellent fishing and is a resource that many fly anglers are finally beginning to discover and explore. Anglers using both fishing methods target the same type of water and can have similar success. While pink fishing may not be the best ... there are a few things to bring along to increase your catch rate and fun when fishing from shore. Fish with an anchovy suspended from bobber or green/purple colored artificial lures that are retrieved slowly for chum. Blue fox spinners, cut-plug herring set-up or clousers work well to catch returning net pen coho in October. I … Fishing on the mudflats and soft bottoms here and throughout the marine area will produce sole and flounder by jigging. The summer and fall seasons bring binds of salmon moving through the Tacoma Narrows as they migrate down to the South Sound, while December through March brings some of the best Resident Coho fishing in the Northwest. Originally built way back in 1976, this classic piece of American design has been regularly maintained to keep her at the highest standard possible. Please do not trespass on private property. Fish the west side for both Blackmouth and summer Chinook. Not all of us have the time or energy to chase squid all season. Late May (assuming we are fishing by then), you have to go south of the Narrows in Marine Area 13 and hit Point Fosdick for early returning hatchery chinook. Enter Tacoma Narrows County Park and park in the parking lot and walk southeast to the water to fish. Popular Chinook Salmon fishing spots in South Puget Sound. The Puget Sound flounder fishery is an often underutilized treasure. Whether you’re opting for a relatively quiet afternoon spent solo or you want to bring the whole family for a day of fun, get your rods ready…here are the best places to fish in South Puget Sound. Park at the Minter Creek Hatchery and walk south to reach marine waters to fish. Puget Sound creel reports Recreational fishery samplers with the Puget Sound Sampling Unit collect catch and effort information throughout the fishing season at selected fishing access sites throughout Puget Sound. The heart of beach fishing is pounding loudest in central and south Puget Sound and Hood Canal with somewhat lesser flutterings in the dozens of irregularly-shaped bays and sounds on Camano and eastern Whidbey islands, and even the tapered beaches along the south shore of Juan de Fuca Strait. Puget Sound Beach Fishing for Steelhead and Salmon Pink Salmon are the most accessible salmon for shore bound angers to target in Puget Sound. The terminal gear is a mooching leader with double 1/0 to 4/0 hooks and a bait of 3" to a maximum of a 4" herring or anchovy (or herring strip) fished on a weighted leader . This southern region of Puget Sound, known as Marina Area 13, is best known for its several narrow channels and fingers of water that reach up into bays, essentially making several astounding estuaries within an estuary. Pink salmon are not the strongest swimmers, so they often hug the shorelines and stay out of big rip tides. On the east side of Puget Sound, Point No Point is another favorite spot for shore-bound anglers. Fish Trap is located a couple of miles (by water) north of Gull Harbor Marina on the east shoreline, with the marina sitting just outside Budd Inlet near Olympia. Most anglers typically mooch and jig. This is the heart of South Puget Sound salmon fishing. Please be respect and be aware of private property or tidelands. Huge numbers of larger squid show up around most of the Puget Sound later in November and December. Best catch rates often occur in the mornings and evenings. This video highlights the basics on when, where, and how to catch pink salmon returning to Puget Sound in both marine and freshwaters. Area 13 is the only body of water in the state where you can fish for salmon year-round and use your two-pole endorsement. The main concentration for this article will be the Puget Sound South of Seattle, as this is the area that I fish most often and have the highest level of familiarity with. “Coho are way easier to get off the shore,” Baltzell says. Try fishing with a bobber and anchovy for chum salmon to entice a strike near stream mouths and constriction points where chum stack up to feel one of the strongest salmon around! Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Inc. Local Road Trips Everyone In the Pacific Northwest Should Take, 10 Great Ways To Spend Your Day In And Around Thurston County, 7 Easy Resolutions For Your Home That You Can Definitely Keep, Home Decor: Trimmings That Transition From Fall to Winter. The South Puget Sound offers great diving opportunities from shore and easily accessible boat dives with a wide variety of diving experiences including steep sheer walls, natural and artificial rocky reefs, ship wrecks, and diver friendly underwater parks. Get smart with the Thesis WordPress Theme from DIYthemes. There is a lot of room to choose from here, but just under the bridge and in front of the park are the two most popular spots. The most abundant and prolific bottom fish in Puget Sound is the Pacific Sand Dab. This means you can not fish for them in water deeper than 120 feet. Here you can also fish year-round for Flounder, Squid, and Cutthroat. How to catch rockfish and perch in the Puget Sound. Located at the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula, Point No Point is popular with gear and fly fishers alike. Market squid have a 4 to 9 month life span but they grow fast. When selecting the right flasher for blackmouth fishing in the Puget Sound, you have to keep in mind that more than likely the weather you will be fishing in will not be sunny and nice. Puget sound herring. Flyfishing anglers who want to catch sea-run cutthroat trout should consider checking out their local public access spots (DFW, DNR, state/county parks) and fish near points or eddy lines. Species: Chum salmon, Coho salmon, Flatfish, Pink salmon. However many of the basic principles will carry over to the Northern par… Thread starter Badfish Pat; Start date ... Jul 10, 2012 #1 Can anyone offer some guidance on where and how to fish for herring in the sound. This is also a popular spot for divers, so you know there’s some good stuff here. These waters are protected from the weather, which enables small boat access for fishing. Sea-run cutthroat trout and resident coho can be caught during the fall and winter months using flyfishing gear and light spinning tackle. The Central Puget Sound offers very good fishing for chinook, coho, pink, chum and sockeye salmon, as well as sea-run cutthroat trout, steelhead, green sturgeon, Pacific halibut, cabezon and lingcod. Central Puget Sound is the most populated stretch of Puget Sound, with Seattle smack dab in the middle of the region. For bivalve season information, please see the Puget Sound clam, mussel, and oyster season guide or visit the shellfish beaches page. I've fished for salmon out here a couple of times (1 28" King so far) but I have only bottom fished in Alaska. *DIRECTIONS Google Bing While the Sound is affected by tides and is saltwater, it remains a very different watershed from the coastal ocean. After a bit of a too much to do hiatus we got back on the throttle and went fishing. Depart just minutes from downtown Seattle, you will experience guided charter boat fishing from Seattle to Everett Washington for Blackmouth salmon in winter, Chinook salmon in spring and summer and Coho salmon, Pink salmon, Chums and Sockeye in fall. Jigging and trolling are common methods used to catch hatchery Chinook returning in the late summer/early fall. The boat isn't setup for trolling (big V8 with twin screws - it's a 24' Searay) so i've been wondering what is around for bottom fishing. Accessible by Shoreline MA 13 stays open year around usually. Fish for starry flounder and sand sole with bait on the bottom in the muddy and soft flats. Pier and shore fishing around the south of Puget Sound is excellent, especially from … Thanks in advance. It’s no secret that Washington State is home to some of the best freshwater fishing in the country, and with the Puget Sound covering more than 2,000 miles of Washington’s coastline, some of the best spots to fish are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Olympia. Accessible by Shoreline Previous post: 2018 Inspirational Educator Award Winner, Next post: Local Road Trips Everyone In the Pacific Northwest Should Take. The plane in this image is about to land at Sea-Tac Airport. Stand where the waves lap at the shore preferably during an incoming tide and cast your fly, lure, or bait as far as you can. Good blackmouth fishing spot during winter months. This feature shows the general location of the selected shoreline. This feature shows the general location of the selected shoreline. It is also home to the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail, a unique opportunity offering salmon viewing and habitat interpretation that educates visitors about what Washington’s at-risk salmon runs need to survive and prosper in their natural environment. The fishing is also accessible. Species: Coastal cutthroat, Coho salmon, Pink salmon. Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound) encompasses all waters south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. This Puget Sound bottom fishing trip resulted in giant Rockfish and Perch. For the latest from WDFW, please visit the COVID-19 webpage. It’s no secret that Washington State is home to some of the best freshwater fishing in the country, and with the Puget Sound covering more than 2,000 miles of Washington’s coastline, some of the best spots to fish are just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Olympia. This area has yielded many a wild ride for thumbs pressed to disappearing turns of monofilament following a surging salmon into the blue depths. Shoreline Fishing Though you can catch sea-run coastal cutthroat trout in all marine areas, Area 13 can boast to be one of the best spots to fish from both a boat and shore, especially during the chum (fry) run from March-May. Please do not trespass on private property. Operating on the South Puget Sound in Washington state, offering the best Seattle Fishing Charters as well as guiding the best fly fishing in salt water. This area produces pink salmon and migratory coho using buzz bombs, jigs, and spinning tackle. Best flashers for puget sound blackmouth. The color pink is most commonly used for all lures and flies by anglers. As pink salmon are more prone to swim close to shore, most public parks and public piers throughout Puget Sound offer good fishing opportunities. There are two main methods of fishing for pink salmon from a boat, trolling and casting. The Nisqually is the main river system that attracts the majority of Chinook and Coho salmon to the region and empties into the southern part of Puget Sound near Olympia. Winter resident salmon fishing is a unique opportunity to catch salmon in the 'off-season' and typically runs from October through April. Chum Salmon visit from September through December, preceded by Pink Salmon in years that end with an odd number. There are several well known locations which are pink salmon hot spots. It's not uncommon to land 50 or even 100 of these fish in one or two hours. The purpose of this rule is to protect rock fish. Beware of the incoming tide with the mudflats. Fish for lingcod with jigs or bait on the rocky bottom structure. Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Real Estate, by Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Inc. on July 13, 2018. If you’re looking to catch some Coho salmon, this is the place for you. On this page I will cover some of the basics of fly fishing in the Puget Sound. There are also great opportunities to fish from shore and at various piers. Located at the confluence of the Klickitat and Columbia Rivers, Lyle Point is one of the most coveted spots to catch Blackmouth (by way of mooching and jigging, of course) during the winter months. Directions may not include direct access routes. Its mudflats have made it increasingly popular for fly fishing, but beware of the incoming tides while you’re out there. There are also great opportunities to fish from shore and at various piers. South Sound is loosely defined as the area of Puget Sound south of the Tacoma Narrows. Pink salmon are often mistaken for small wild chinook or even wild coho so be sure you know to properly identify it. A south Puget Sound angler, Greg Cloud, pioneered the use of a small herring or anchovy drifted through chum holding areas under a float or bobber. The fishing technique for salmon is simple. Boat Fishing Photo by Earl Harper. Please be respect and be aware of private property or tidelands. Park in the turnout near the bridge of Kennedy Creek and walk north to fish. It is not uncommon to catch 12 inch squid by November. Kennedy Creek is a small low-land stream that flows into the head of Totten Inlet and one of the most productive chum salmon production streams in the state. A good friend just bought a boat and wants to go out fishing on the sound. Calling all anglers! For a full review of puget sound salmon fishing, head to our page dedicated to this topic. Among the many ways to hunt and gather, fishing is an especially popular activity around the South Puget Sound. Accessible only by boat just off the shores of Tolmie State Park, Nisqually Head offers some pretty excellent coastal cutthroat fishing all year round. It’s also the only body of water in the state that allows for salmon fishing all year round. Puget Sound has a 120 ft restriction for all fishing other than salmon. From the expansive, salty waters of the Puget […] Close to Seattle and from shore would be preferred, but not essential. Fly Fishing Puget Sound : Book Now. At Point No Point, where you fish depends completely on the tide. Beware of the incoming tide with the mudflats and only downstream of the northbound bridge is open to fishing. Mount Rainier presides over the skyline of south Puget Sound where you can catch searun cutthroat trout every month of the year. Others spend countless hours lined up along piers jigging for those delicious market squid. In 2013, approximately six million Coho and pinks returned to Puget Sound rivers. But those that spawn in the many small creeks that flow into the South Sound and Hood Canal linger in the brine until just before spawning in late winter. While some species are catch and release — or just plain hard to catch — coho, aka "silver salmon" — swim close enough to be within reach of your rod, says Mark Baltzell, WDFW’s Puget Sound Salmon Fishery Manager. Current water quality information, beach locations and harvest seasons can be found on the Department of Health's shellfish safety interactive map. This post will map them out for you. OLYMPIA – As Chinook salmon fishing comes to a close in some coastal and Puget Sound Marine Areas later this week, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) remind anglers to stay up to date about fishing rule changes that could occur in … There are two main methods used for shore fishing pink salmon, casting lures and flyfishing. *DIRECTIONS Google Bing In late April, flounder begin moving up on to sand flats and humps that are adjacent to deep water. Come October, salmon will be more abundant in Puget Sound waters. Fish with an anchovy suspended from bobber or green/purple colored artificial lures that are retrieved slowly for chum. Accessible by Shoreline Many but not all visitors to the Seattle and Tacoma areas believe Puget Sound to be the open ocean when in fact it is a huge maze of bays and inlets reaching from Bellingham to Olympia. For COVID-19-related closures, restrictions, and updates see the WDFW COVID-19/Coronavirus response page. Popular with anglers looking for Flounder fishing charters in Puget Sound The vessel you will be fishing aboard is a 28’ Tollycraft fishing boat which has room for up to six anglers. Charter Fishing Seattle offers year round charter fishing adventures in the beautiful Puget Sound.. For the latest from WDFW, please visit the COVID-19 webpage Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound) encompasses all waters south of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Public access sites, such as parks and piers. These reports summarize the results from angler interviews which are conducted on a random sampling schedule. Kitsap County leases 59.8 acres from the U.S. Coast Guard. Check your state fishing regulations pamphlet to make sure the spot you want to fish is open. This small creek, located off the western banks of the Henderson Bay, is ideal for anglers in search of chum. These waters are protected from the weather, which enables small boat access for fishing. 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