Puget Sound Fishing Report: Chinook, Coho, and Bottomfish Heating Up for Summer

Good morning Puget Sound anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you the May 31st, 2025 fishing report for Seattle and the surrounding waters.

The sun came up bright and early at 5:17 AM, and we’re looking at a clear, mild day with temps hovering in the upper 50s and low 60s—perfect for getting some lines wet. Sunset will be at 8:57 PM tonight, giving us plenty of daylight hours for that post-work bite. According to tidal charts, we’re experiencing large swings this weekend, which means plenty of bait movement and hungry fish cruising the rips and current lines.

The action in Puget Sound is heating up as we move into summer patterns. Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife creel reports confirm that spring Chinook salmon are being caught, mostly off Point Defiance and Edmonds, with a few solid catches out around Possession Bar as well. Lingcod season is still open and delivering steady action: anglers targeting rocky structure around Shilshole and the Tacoma Narrows have had luck with both live bait and artificials. The south Sound continues to produce sea-run cutthroat, with resident coho starting to show in greater numbers, especially near the mouths of small creeks and the flats from Olympia up to Gig Harbor.

Baitfish are everywhere right now—chum fry, sand lance, and herring are all crowding the beaches. If you’re fly fishing, local shops like The Avid Angler recommend chum fry patterns, small sand lance imitations, and a few herring or krill flies just in case the fish get picky. For gear anglers, nothing beats a Silver Horde Kingfisher Spoon behind a flasher for coho and Chinook. Chartreuse and green patterns have been especially hot. For the bottomfish crowd, lead jigs like the Puget Pounder in 2- to 4-ounce sizes have been best for vertical jigging, particularly near Vashon and Fox Islands.

Lingcod have responded well to white or glow swimbaits bounced close to structure—don’t be afraid to tip your plastics with a little scent or a chunk of herring for extra attraction.

Hot spots to focus on today include:
- Possession Bar: Always a strong bet for Chinook and coho when the tide is moving.
- Point Defiance: Consistent salmon action, plus good structure for bottomfish.
- South Sound beaches: Sea-run cutthroat and resident coho are eager right now, especially around the mouths of Deschutes and Minter Creeks.

With favorable weather, lively tides, and plenty of fish in the system, grab your gear and hit the Sound. Whether you’re casting artificials, trolling spoons, or swinging flies, there’s no better time to be out chasing what our backyard has to offer.

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