Puget Sound Fishing Update: Salmon Surge, Lingcod Bites, and Crab Bonanza

Fishing fans, it's Artificial Lure checking in from the vibrant waters of Puget Sound, Washington, on this beautiful Sunday, August 31st, 2025.

Let’s start with today’s **atmospheric setup**. Skies are partly cloudy with mild temps in the upper 60s by midmorning, trending toward a warm afternoon—classic end-of-August weather for the Sound. Expect a light breeze for most of the day, making early casting conditions prime. **Sunrise hit at 6:22 a.m.**, so get those lines wet before things heat up; **sunset tonight is set for 7:57 p.m.**

**Tides are swinging mid-morning.** NOAA predictions show an early low tide around 8:15 a.m., bottoming out near 2.0 feet, then climbing through the middle of the day. That rising water means hungry salmon moving closer to shore and staging at river mouths in the late morning and early afternoon. Look for rockfish and lingcod on the structure as the tide begins to flood back in.

Turning to **recent fish activity**, this last week has delivered a classic Puget Sound late summer surge. Tom Nelson from The Outdoor Line radio reminds us that “millions of pink salmon are flooding the narrows,” especially in Marine Areas 11 and 13. Both **coho and chinook catches are strong**—with **limits coming quick** around Point Defiance and in the Tacoma-Vashon corridor. Not to be outdone, crabbing remains excellent throughout the east side, though most folks are wrapping up pots for the season as Labor Day nears.

On the **gear front:**
- For pinks, anglers beach-casting are having luck with **small pink hoochies, buzz bombs, and Dick Nite spoons**—especially at creeks with incoming salmon like Chico, Puyallup, and Dash Point.
- For coho and chinook, **cut-plug herring trolled behind green or blue flashers are responsible for most of the heavy boxes**.
- Lingcod action has slowed since May but folks working deeper rock piles near Edmonds and Possession Bar with **large swimbaits and live bait** are scoring decent numbers.

Beach fishing is on fire this weekend. GoneFishingNW says the best rigs for pinks include “beach poppers with UV flash and pink marabou.” **Tip:** Switch it up mid-morning as the light brightens, moving from lighter to darker lure patterns.

Notable catches this past week:
- Pink limits are coming fast—most boats reporting **10–20 fish per outing** in the main narrows.
- Strong chinook showing still at Marine Area 10 near Seattle—several 20-pound class kings were weighed at the Edmonds marina Saturday.
- Possession Bar produced four hefty lingcod yesterday, topping out at 34 inches.

**Hot spots right now:**
- **Point No Point:** Still consistent for pinks and coho, especially as the tide reverses midmorning.
- **Tacoma Narrows Bridge Drift:** Strong for both pink and coho early, transitions to chinook midday.
- **Possession Bar:** Best for structure-oriented lingcod—hit the deeper edges after 10 a.m. as the tide climbs.

**Best bait:**
- **Herring—either whole or plug cut—for salmon.**
- **Sand shrimp or squid strips for beach pinks.**
- **Live greenling or perch for stubborn lingcod.**
- **Chicken and salmon scraps for crabs—pots should stay on the bottom for the full rising tide window.**

As we shift into September, keep an ear out for changes in chinook retention rules—sometimes they update midweek depending on catch rates and quota fill. Always check regs before heading out!

Thanks as always for tuning in, folks. Don’t forget to subscribe for your daily local report and be ready for next weekend’s Labor Day fishing frenzy.
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