Late August Salmon & Trout Report for Puget Sound Anglers

Hey Puget Sound anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Saturday morning fishing report for August 30th, 2025, keeping you dialed on what’s biting and where to cast in the greater Seattle area. Today’s weather is setting up a classic late August scene: temps in the upper 60s by noon, patchy clouds, and a gentle breeze out of the north. Sunrise was just after 6:20 AM and sunset rolls in around 7:51 PM, giving plenty of daylight to work all tides. Tidal action will be prime for morning outings. According to NOAA Tides & Currents, we saw a low at 3:30 AM at 1.3 feet, followed by a solid high at 10:16 AM pushing nearly 9 feet, then it drops again to a modest low around 3:28 PM. That mid-morning push is the hot window—perfect for targeting feeding salmon and sea-run cutthroat close to shore. Let's talk fish activity. The buzz this week has been about coho making their way in, especially with that stronger tidal influence. Shore anglers have been doing well at the mouth of the Duwamish and up at Edmonds Pier, and boaters are trolling up bright fish off Jeff Head and Point No Point. Mixed in have been respectable reports of pinks, especially in the Narrows and out toward Dash Point, with a few lingering chums showing around the Nisqually delta. Don’t sleep on resident blackmouth or late summer lingcod, still prowling structure around Shilshole and West Seattle. They’re inhaling 5- to 7-inch herring trolled deep or worked with chrome jigs. The trout crowd has been seeing action too. If you’re looking for a freshwater fix, the statewide Trout Derby is still on, and several area lakes—including Green Lake and Lake Sammamish—are freshly stocked with tagged rainbows, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s calendar and derby hotline. Don’t forget: those yellow tags mean prizes—just land one, hold onto the tag, and follow the WDFW instructions for your shot. Best lures and bait? For salmon, nothing beats a UV hoochie squid in pink or chartreuse behind a flasher for boaters. Shore anglers are connecting with 1/2 to 1 ounce Buzz Bombs in “pink pearl” or “cop car,” or pink mini-jigs beneath a float. Herring or anchovy in a helmet is the top natural bait. For cutthroat, toss olive or white Clouser minnows for fly guys, or small silver spoons and spinners for spin casters. And don’t be shy about tipping your gear with a little scent—anchovy or shrimp gel is working overtime. A couple local hot spots to try right now: - The area just out from Lincoln Park, in West Seattle, for hungry Puget Sound salmon chasing bait balls on that flood tide. - Point No Point—early risers are landing both coho and pinks from shore and kayaks. - If the salt is slow, hit Green Lake or Lake Sammamish during the Derby—both are packed with rainbow trout, and the prizes are no joke. This is shaping up to be a banner weekend. Don’t forget your license, pack your rain layer just in case, and as always, check local regs for any late changes before heading out This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.