Puget Sound Fishing Report May 23, 2025: Pink Salmon Forecast, Spring Chinook Bites, and Lingcod Season

This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report for Friday, May 23, 2025.

We’re waking up to classic Seattle spring conditions out on the water today. Sunrise hit at 5:21 am and sunset will wrap things up around 8:51 pm, so you’ve got a long stretch of daylight to chase a bite. Expect cool temps in the upper 50s to low 60s, with patchy clouds and a light breeze—ideal for both boaters and shore anglers alike.

Tides are running strong today with a high tide rolling in early around 7:30 am, topping out near 12 feet, dropping all the way to a negative low just before 2 pm, then swinging back to a solid high at 10 pm. These sharp changes mean hungry fish will be on the move during the tide switches, so time your casts for the first couple hours after high and low slack for best results.

On the fishing front, there’s a buzz around the Sound thanks to a banner forecast for pink salmon this year. Over 7.7 million pinks are expected, nearly doubling the 10-year average, and early catches have already been reported around the Tacoma Narrows and on into the central Sound. Folks are doing well tossing pink Buzz Bombs, hoochies, and small spoons from both boat and beach. If you’re fishing from shore, the Edmonds pier or Point No Point are worth a look as schools start pushing shallower on the outgoing tide.

Spring Chinook action remains decent through the middle Sound corridors. Anglers trolling herring or anchovies in bait strips, especially behind a flasher, are picking up springers around the south end of Vashon, West Seattle’s Lincoln Park, and out toward the mouth of the Duwamish. Early mornings have been best.

Lingcod season is in full swing now through June 15. Try jigs or swimbaits in white or chartreuse along rocky structure up to 120 feet deep. Alki Point and the area around Shilshole Bay have produced solid keepers recently.

Halibut numbers are also looking strong, with productive reports coming in from deep water off Possession Bar and out toward the east side of Whidbey Island. Big herring dropped to the bottom with plenty of scent is your best bet here.

For live bait, herring and sand shrimp are top choices. Artificial lures like pink Buzz Bombs, Point Wilson Darts, and Hawken Aerojigs have been favorites for the salmon, while larger paddle-tail plastics and metal jigs turn heads from the lingcod.

If you’re chasing a hot bite, check out Point Defiance boathouse for salmon and bottomfish, and hit the Edmonds Pier at either side of high tide for salmon and an outside chance at a searun cutthroat.

Good luck out there, and remember to keep your hooks barbless and take a kid fishing if you can. This is Artificial Lure signing off—tight lines!