Fall Fishing in the Puget Sound: Chums, Rockfish, and Tides

Good morning fishers, Artificial Lure here with your Puget Sound angling report for Friday, November 14, 2025. We’re rolling into fall prime time and it’s classic November out there—think misty dawns, crisp air, and that silver-skinned promise right beneath the surface. Let’s start with the **tides**. According to tides.net and Tide-Forecast, we’ve got a low tide at 5:54am around 2.9 feet, a robust high at 12:33pm pushing 10.2 feet, and another low at 7:27pm at about 2.7 feet. Those mid-morning to early afternoon hours will have the ebb in our favor—perfect for chasing bait and active predators. **Sunrise hit at 7:13am and the sun will duck out early, at 4:33pm**, so plan your sessions with daylight in mind[13][5]. **Weather-wise**, the National Weather Service says patchy showers moving in, so throw on your rain gear. Winds look light most of the day, but a bit gustier first thing, with things settling by afternoon—classic unsettled fall, but entirely fishable for small craft, kayaks, and beachcasters alike[7]. **On the fish front**, reports out of Washington Fish Reports and Fish Hunt Northwest say the bite has stayed strong for both salmon and bottomfish. The coho run has wound down, but some bright fish are still being caught on the move—especially around the mouths of local rivers and at deeper points. Chum are now front and center, with solid numbers pushing through the Sound’s estuaries and creek mouths. Bottom fishers have had stellar outings with **yellowtail rockfish and lingcod**. Recent charters are averaging over six rockfish per rod and healthy keeper ling in the mix, especially when drifting structure with flounder or artificial swimbaits. Black and white plastics, as well as metal jigs, are getting the job done—don’t forget a stout fluorocarbon leader[1]. **For gear**, twitching jigs in blue, purple, or green are a top pick for chum right now. Float fishing with cured roe or shrimp just off creek mouths is another go-to. Salmon still showing are hitting on herring strip, pink hoochies, and small chartreuse flashers. If you’re headed after blackmouth, try spoons like the Coho Killer in “Cookies & Cream” or “Irish Cream.” For bottomfish, 5- to 8-ounce leadheads tipped with curly tail plastics in white or glow work well. **Bait and hot color combos:** For bait, cured eggs and sand shrimp are dynamite for chums. Herring and anchovy strips are the ticket for late coho. When it comes to lures, try pink and chartreuse for salmon, black with metallic fleck for rockfish, and white for lingcod. **Catches this week:** Local guides and regulars out of Shilshole and Edmonds are still boasting quality chum hauls with a few late coho mixed in, and the occasional blackmouth reported by trollers working deeper ledges. Charter returns on the west side have been running strong: Over 70 rockfish and two dozen lingcod in a single outing this week according to Washington Fish Reports[1]. **Hot spots to try:** - **Point No Point:** Always a Nov This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.