Autumn Salmon Surge in Puget Sound's Fall Fishery

Artificial Lure here with your Puget Sound fishing report straight out of Seattle for Sunday, October 19, 2025. Lines in early, folks—**sunrise is at 7:36AM and sunset rolls in at 6:16PM** near Olympia, so you’ve got a solid day ahead to chase those fall fish. Classic autumn weather is back with rain on tap and a cool SW breeze of 15 to 20 knots this morning, easing off a bit in the afternoon. Waves are mellow, around 2 feet or less, but keep your rain gear handy because that Puget Sound drizzle is sticking around, especially early according to the National Weather Service. **Tidal action is rolling:** - **High** at 4:23AM, hitting 8.04 feet - **Low** at 9:48AM, down to 3.35 feet - **Another bullish high at 3:59PM at nearly 10 feet** - **Low again at 10:39PM at 0.92 feet** Slack tides near dawn and mid-afternoon—prime time for salmonid ambushes. **What’s biting?** This weekend, it’s all about the **chum and coho**. The rains have filled the creeks, bringing in big pods of OP coho—Mike Zavadlov of MikeZsguideservice.com says these fish are pushing hard, and Jeff Head saw a solid day of hook-ups just yesterday. Googly-Eye Fishing reported three nice chum landed at Jeff Head using a slow troll, working the current with a westward traverse during the running tide. Local legends Tom "Nelly" Nelson and Joe Pyburn on The Outdoor Line radio show noted that the action is consistent around typical mid-Sound hotspots, and with a forecast calling for a monster pink run this year, there’s extra life offshore too. For **best results:** - **Lures:** Go classic—chartreuse flashers and purple haze hoochies are money for coho, while anything with a green or blue tinge seems to trigger chums. When the bite is tough, switch to anchovy or herring strips behind a dodger. - **Bait:** Salted herring and UV-treated anchovies are hot right now—Ray’s Bait in Ballard has the freshest batch in town. - **Rigs:** For coho, try 36-inch leaders behind an 8-inch flasher. Chum prefer a slower presentation; try a pink mini-hoochie and add scent. **Reports from the north Sound** have seen the occasional small shark in accidental catches, but the focus remains on salmon, with consistent numbers being pulled out around Possession Bar and Kingston. This week has seen a solid average: most boats are getting at least a couple coho and a handful of chum, with a bonus stray pink mixed in. If you’re chasing something different, resident blackmouth chinook (immature kings) are showing in pockets from Shilshole down to Des Moines, especially on the early high tide—try a 4-inch spoon in white or herring aid pattern. **Hotspots:** - **Jeff Head:** Strong reports of chum and coho action, best north/south drifts then turning west on the troll. - **Possession Bar:** Always a classic—converging currents stack the fish. Try the east edge on the afternoon push. - **Point No Point:** Good for the swing—you’ll have competition, but so do the fish! Always check local regs, watch for those “bubb This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.