Puget Sound Morning: Incoming Tide, Bait Stacks, and Early Summer Salmon

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. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

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. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

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. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

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. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn

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. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn