Building Moon, Strong Flood Tide: Coho and Lings Firing Off Seattle

This is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report for the greater Seattle area. We’re on a building moon phase and decent moving water this morning. Around Seattle, NOAA tide tables show an early morning low followed by a solid flood pushing in through late morning, then an afternoon high and a softer evening ebb. That morning flood and the first half of the afternoon outgoing are your prime windows. Weather-wise, local forecasts are calling for a cool marine layer at daybreak, light south to southwest breeze under 10 knots, and afternoon clearing with temps in the 60s. That’s classic spring Sound weather: overcast early, brightening later. Winds look manageable for small boats but expect a bit more chop as the day wears on, especially in the open stretches. Sunrise is just before 5:30 a.m., sunset a little after 8:30 p.m., so you’ve got long low-light edges to work. First light and the last hour before dark are lining up nicely with that tide movement, which should perk things up for both salmon and bottomfish. Recent reports from local charter skippers and tackle shops around Shilshole and Elliott Bay say resident coho (silvers) and a few bigger blackmouth have been picking up. Most fish are schoolie size, but there’ve been enough legal keepers to make it worth the run. Lingcod and rockfish are showing good activity on rocky structure from West Point north toward Edmonds, with a fair number of keeper lings coming on the opener stretches. For salmon, think small baitfish patterns: 3–3.5 inch spoons in green/white, Irish cream, or cop car, fished behind an 11-inch flasher on 30–40 inches of leader. Hoochies in glow green or UV white with a strip of herring or a small herring strip teaser have been consistent. Troll 60–120 feet on the downrigger, a bit shallower at first light, then follow the bait down as the sun climbs. If you’re soaking bait from the beach or a small skiff, herring and anchovy are still kings. Rig a cut-plug herring behind a swivel and slow-troll or mooch over bait marks, keeping your line just above the fish. On the beaches, anglers are scratching out a mix of sea‑run cutthroat and the odd early coho on olive-over-white Clousers, small sand lance patterns, and 1/4–3/8 oz metal jigs in candlefish colors. Strip fast with pauses; most hits come on the drop. Bottomfish action has been strong on the incoming tide. Lingcod are chewing on 4–6 inch swimbaits in root beer, motor oil, or glow, bounced close to the rocks. Large curlytail grubs on 2–3 oz jigheads are a close second. For bait, whole herring, fresh squid strips, or a chunk of salmon belly will turn heads, but be ready to weed through smaller rockfish and greenling. Two hot spots to put on your list: 1. West Point / Fourmile Rock: The edge off West Point down toward Fourmile has been producing resident coho and the occasional blackmouth. Work the contour line in 80–140 feet, trolling with the current. Watch for bait balls and birds. 2. Richmond Beach to Edmonds oil docks: Good mixed-bag stretch. Troll for salmon along the drop-off, then slide shallower to probe rocky humps for lingcod with jigs. Fish that first push of the flood or the start of the ebb for best results. Boat traffic and pressure are lighter midweek, so if you can sneak out, do it. Keep an eye on barbless hook regulations, size limits, and marine area closures—rules change often here, and WDFW’s website or app has the latest. That’s the word on the water from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn