Seattle and Washington State Fishing Report – July 2022

If you are a Washington Salmon fisher, this is your summer! Across the state, all areas open to salmon fishing are seeing historically high catch rates, Chinook quotas being caught fast, and anglers buzzing around to their favorite fishing haunts, making the summer of 2022 one to remember. Most anglers haven’t seen fishing this good in their recent memory, and we have plenty of summer opportunities to get excited about this year!

Puget Sound Salmon Fishing Report

Opportunities have been incredible in Puget Sound so far this summer. And while amazing salmon fishing means that Marine Area Chinook quotas may go quick and result in mid-season regulation changes, it means that fishing is really good while it’s open!

Marine Area 8-2 – Everett’s Tulalip Bay Chinook Fishery

Tulalip Bubble has been stellar so far this season. This terminal fishery in Marine Area 8-2 is only a few miles north of the entrance to the Everett Marina and a popular place to fish throughout the summer. Tulalip Tribes operates a large hatchery program in Tulalip Bay, and due to the fact that they don’t clip adipose fins on many of their fish, anglers in the open area just outside the bay may keep both clipped and unclipped Chinook. This fishery is open weekly Fridays through noon on Mondays. The Chinook in this area will be suspended in the water column as they stage in front of the bay, and can be found anywhere from 50′ to 250′ of water. Troll with an 11″ Flasher and Plastic Hoochee or 3″ to 4″ Spoon, anywhere mid-water column that you have confidence. Everyday the patterns change on where these fish hold and what depth they are caught.

Marine Area 9 – Admiralty Inlet & Possession Salmon Fishing

Marine Area 9 is opening for salmon on July 14th! As Puget Sound opens for Chinook in July, Marine Area 9’s prime Chinook haunts should provide the best fishing opportunity this month. Chinook push into Mid-Channel Bank, Possession Bar and Point No Point/Pilot Point early in the season and can offer some great fishing. The area is scheduled for salmon fishing on July 14 on Thursdays through Saturdays to July 27th, then daily July 28th – August 15th if there is remaining Chinook quota. Depending on how big the Chinook return is, we may see a short season or get the entire thing. However fishing in outer marine areas has been phenomenal so far, so a good indication of a great Puget Sound season!

Marine Area 10 – Seattle & Bainbridge Salmon Fishing

Seattle area salmon anglers have had a roller coaster of an early salmon season but generally good! I’ve really enjoyed that June to early July Resident Coho season, and this year we have seen a real mix of phenomenal fishing one day to working for them the next. Even on days where Coho seem to be missing in action in big numbers, there are a number of Chinook already present and the Coho we are catching are very nice size for the time of year. Captain Sean Bowman with Best Seattle Fishing has been running trips daily out of Shilshole and reports that Coho fishing is good but should pick up as they transition from feeding on krill to herring once they mature, and is very excited about the Chinook opener!

Marine Area 10 Chinook season opens on July 14th! The area is scheduled to be open 7-days a week until quota is caught or August 31, one hatchery Chinook per day. Expect most of the effort around Kingston and Jeff Head early on in the season, and shifting to all parts of Area 10 by early August, from Oil Docks to Meadow Point to Bainbridge as the big push of Chinook migrate into Central Puget Sound.

Marine Area 11 – Tacoma & Vashon Salmon Fishing

After a wide-open Chinook season in June, Marine Area 11 reopened for a couple incredible weekends on July 1. Fishing at Point Defiance, Clay Banks, Dalco and Gig Harbor was nothing short of historic early this month. So much so that WDFW has “paused” salmon fishing here to save the remaining quota for August to allow for salmon fishing opportunity on the 42% of the Chinook quota that remains. WDFW News Release

Marine Area 13 – South Puget Sound Salmon Fishing

Marine Area 13, all of Puget Sound south of Tacoma Narrows Bridge, continues to produce some decent Chinook fishing. Fishing here is expected to remain open through summer for Chinook, but it’s always good practice to check Emergency Rules before your trip for any last minute regulation changes. Fishing has been good around Point Fosdick, South of the bridge, and Fox Island but expect areas further south to heat up as the summer progresses.

Puget Sound Crabbing Report

Crabbing in Puget Sound opened at the beginning of July and it has been really good! All open marine areas have been productive, from Admiralty Inlet to Central Puget Sound, in Everett’s Port Gardner and around Camano and Whidbey. Check out our post on Puget Sound 2022 Dungeness Crab Season and our Guide to Crabbing in Puget Sound.

San Juan Islands Salmon Fishing Opener

The annual salmon opener for the San Juan Islands’ Marine Area 7 is always a big hit with north end anglers. Last year’s extremely short July season, which resulted in a complete salmon closure here for the rest of the season let the WDFW to change their approach to spread out opportunity. Salmon will open for a three day period July 14 to 16 for Coho and Chinook, and will reopen in August.

Westport Fishing Report

Westport’s Marine Area 2 has been absolutely ON FIRE for Chinook fishing. I spoke with Mark Coleman with All River’s & Saltwater Charters, and to date their boats have been pretty much limiting everyday and early. Fishing has been good anywhere from 10 miles to 20 miles from port, at the 100′ line out past the 300′ line. ARSC Captain Nick Clayton adds that aside from amazing Chinook fishing, the Lingcod and Rockfish fishing has been as good as it gets and their combo trips have been yielding their guests some world-class fast fishing, plenty of Chinook double-headers, and full coolers! They still have a few dates available, so if you want a great experience check out their website.

Neah Bay Fishing Report

Neah Bay opened for salmon fishing in mid-June, and from the first day it was great salmon fishing. According to WDFW catch rates, limits for Chinook were the norm. Catch rates were so high that WDFW decided to pause the salmon season, to save quota for a later opener, reopening date TBD so keep checking their website for the final word. Lingcod and Rockfish fishing has been great, and worth making a trip to Marine Area 4 alone! Halibut quota also remains and we should see an announcement on more Halibut fishing dates soon.

Sekiu Salmon Fishing Report

I know at this point in the report, I may sound like a broken record but Sekiu’s July 1 opener was very productive for the folks that made the trip out to Marine Area 5. Chinook limits were common for the first couple days of the season, and WDFW initiated a season change quickly to extend the season. Sekiu’s July salmon season was adjusted to fishing on even numbered July dates only (July 6,8,10 ect) until the quota is met. Fishing around the Caves and the troll from Slip Point east to Pillar Point has been really good. Trolling and mooching has been equally productive. WDFW season change news release

Skykomish River Summer Chinook & Steelhead Report

Guide Cary Hofmann of CNH Guide Service has been fishing the Skykomish River daily and reports that this year is the best summer season he has seen in his 12 year career of guiding the river. Chinook have been hunkered down in the deeper stretches, of which there are many with the higher water flow. Healthy snowpack in the Cascades has kept the river at a healthy level and should be boatable for sleds and drift boats alike for the remainder of July or beyond. Side-drifting cured salmon eggs, backtrolling bait-divers with bait, and backtrolling plugs are bringing Chinook to the boat daily for many river anglers.

Skagit River & Baker Lake Sockeye Salmon Fishing

Skagit River has been one of the strongholds for the Sockeye returns of Puget Sound. This year the river itself was opened to a Sockeye season and anglers have been working the lower river for them. Anchor fishing with bait-divers, small spin-n-glos and prawns have been a successful tactic, positioning in their travelling path is half the battle. With the high river flows, the Sockeye have pushed into the river, but have yet to make the big migration up the Baker River to Baker Lake. That fishery is opened as of July 9, for a daily limit of 2 Sockeye, but most die-hard Baker Lake anglers are waiting to make the trip until after the lake counts improve. Baker Lake Fish Counts

Re-Posted from www.riptidefish.com