Puget Sound Chinook Fishing Report: Optimal Conditions for Spring Salmon

Good morning, anglers! Today is Friday, April 11, 2025, and Puget Sound is shaping up for some excellent spring Chinook fishing. Here’s your daily fishing report to help you plan your day on the water. The tidal schedule for today shows a high tide at 5:40 AM (13’6”), a low tide at 12:19 PM (1’10”), and another high tide at 6:21 PM (12’0”). Sunrise was at 6:30 AM, and sunset will be at 7:55 PM, giving you plenty of daylight to enjoy some solid fishing windows. Weather conditions are favorable with calm waters, partly cloudy skies, and temperatures ranging from 48°F in the morning to the mid-50s by afternoon. The Chinook season in Marine Areas 10 (Seattle-Bremerton) and 11 (Tacoma-Vashon) is in full swing, open Wednesdays through Saturdays through April. Anglers are reporting good success trolling deep, with legal-sized hatchery Chinook over the 22-inch minimum being caught consistently. Recent encounters include solid numbers of Blackmouth, our resident Chinook salmon. Catch guidelines are still in effect, so keep an eye on regulations. For gear, trolling setups with Silver Horde Kingfisher spoons in patterns like "Cookies and Cream" or "Irish Cream" have been top producers. Tomic Plugs, especially #602 and #603, also perform well when rigged 30 to 40 feet behind the downrigger for a natural presentation. Mooching with brined herring and vertical jigging with Puget Pounder Jigs are great alternatives for those without trolling setups. Glowing or UV-themed lures are highly effective in deeper waters, so be sure to match your setup to the fish activity near the bottom, typically between 90 and 200 feet. Hot spots for today include Jeff Head in Marine Area 10, where the south side is productive during outgoing tides and the north side near President’s Point shines during incoming tides. Kingston’s inner bowl during outgoing tides or the outer bar when the tide is flooding are also reliable bets. In Marine Area 11, Point Defiance’s Slag Pile and Dalco Point on the Vashon side are yielding quality catches depending on tidal flow. Today, with cooperative tides, weather, and plenty of fish activity, is a prime opportunity to target Puget Sound’s Chinook. Don’t forget to keep your gear close to the bottom, monitor the WDFW updates for area-specific guidelines, and stay legal with your daily limits. Tight lines, and happy fishing! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.