• Puget Sound Spring Chinook Fishing Heats Up, Pink Salmon Forecast Promising for the Months Ahead

  • Apr 20 2025
  • Length: 3 mins
  • Podcast

Puget Sound Spring Chinook Fishing Heats Up, Pink Salmon Forecast Promising for the Months Ahead

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  • Summary

  • Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your April 20, 2025, Puget Sound fishing report. If you are heading out today, you are in for one of the best starts to spring we have seen in a few years.

    First, your tidal and weather conditions. We’re experiencing large spring tides, with the morning ebb lining up nicely for a dawn patrol bite, especially in the mid- to south sound. Expect a partly cloudy start with a mild breeze out of the north and temps in the low 50s. Sunrise was at 6:06 AM, and sunset will be at 8:04 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to chase down some fish.

    The early spring Chinook, or Blackmouth, season just opened for Marine Areas 10 and 11 and the fishing pressure has definitely picked up. With the opener now set for April and running Wednesdays through Saturdays, boat ramps in spots like Shilshole and Point Defiance have been busy. Catch reports from the last few days show solid Chinook action, with fish running 5 to 10 pounds but some pushing into the teens. Anglers trolling flasher-hoochie setups in 100 to 140 feet of water are finding fish, especially as the tide switches. Mooching herring has also been productive around Jeff Head and Possession Bar. Remember, in Areas 10 and 11, the daily limit is two salmon, with only one being a clipped Chinook over 22 inches, and all wild Chinook and Chum must be released[5].

    There is plenty of excitement about this year’s pink salmon forecast. WDFW projects the 2025 Puget Sound pink run at 7.76 million fish, one of the largest on record, and while they’re not in yet, it’s a good sign for the months ahead. Chinook are the main game right now, but it won’t be long before those humpies show up and add even more action[4].

    For bait and tackle, most success is coming on green splatter back hoochies and 3.5-inch spoons like the Irish Cream or Cop Car behind a rotating flasher. If you are mooching, plug-cut herring is the local favorite. Colder water means keep your troll slow and near the bottom. Don’t be afraid to work the edges of the bait balls—Chinook are feeding heavy ahead of the tidal changes.

    Hot spots this weekend continue to be Point Defiance in Area 11 and Jeff Head in Area 10. Both have seen consistent numbers of keepers over the last few checks, and there’s plenty of bait holding fish in both areas. Possession Bar has also reported some solid action for trollers early in the morning.

    That’s it for today’s Puget Sound report. Tight lines, take only what you need, and enjoy the best of spring fishing!
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