Puget Sound Fishing Report: Chinook, Coho, and More as Tides Turn

Artificial Lure coming at you with your Puget Sound fishing report for Friday, September 12, 2025. Here in Seattle, we’re waking up to cool early fall temps, patchy clouds, and a slight marine breeze—perfect fishing weather for most of the Sound. Sunrise was at 6:45 AM, giving anglers a golden window to hit the water early. You'll want to time your casts around today’s tidal swings: a minus-low tide at 3:38 AM, a solid high at 10:14 AM (13.27 ft), another low at 3:49 PM (6.24 ft), and finishing with a 14.6 ft high at 9:14 PM. These tide cycles make for prime movement, so expect fish on the move during both fills and ebbs according to Tide-Forecast.com. Salmon action is hot now, with fall Chinook and Coho salmon peaking in the Sound. Boatsetter reports that Chinook are running strong—anglers are tracking down plenty of healthy kings up toward the mouth of the Duwamish, Elliott Bay, and off Lincoln Park. Coho, meanwhile, are the stars in the near-shore early morning and late evenings, with recent catches looking good off Shilshole, Edmonds, and even around West Seattle. Best bets for gear: trolled cut-plug herring, flashy chartreuse or blue-green hoochies, and silver spoons have all been producing fish. For bank anglers, twitching jigs in pink or purple is trending strong for the coho, while a classic herring under a slip float grabs any passing Chinook. Many locals are swapping to smaller plugs and lighter leaders as water clarity improves with autumn’s push, increasing hookups for pressured fish. Lingcod and rockfish catches have tapered off as bottom temps cool, but persistent bottom bouncers are still landing keeper-sized lings around rocky drops near Alki and deeper shelves off Point Jefferson, Boatsetter notes. If you’re targeting lings and rockfish, drop down white twin-tail plastic grubs on heavy jigs tipped with squid. The key: bounce and pause, bounce and pause. Chum salmon are starting to trickle in, but the real show will be in a week or so. Pink salmon numbers are way down after the August peak, so most reports are seeing small pods, mostly passed through the central Sound. On the bait front: fresh herring reigns supreme for salmon, followed by sand shrimp and—if you can find it—anchovy. Scented soft baits like Gulp sandworms are picking up bonus flounder and smaller bottom fish near piers and jettys. Before heading out, a word of caution as the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife reminds everyone: leave protected sharks—including bluntnose sixgill, sevengill, and thresher sharks—alone. These prehistoric giants are passing through Marine Areas 10, 11, and 13, drawn by spawning cycles. Handling or targeting them is illegal right now. Hot spots to check out today: - *Elliott Bay near the mouth of the Duwamish*: Early coho and Chinook, best on tide change at sunrise. - *Shilshole Bay marina*: Bank fishing for coho at first light, plus drop-offs for late season rockfish. - *Point Jefferson drift*: Lingcod and rockfish over dee This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.