Puget Sound Fishing Report: Pinks Pouring In, Rockfish Reproducing, and Ghost Sharks Lurking

Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Puget Sound fishing report for Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. Sunrise hit Seattle just before 6:39 AM this morning, with sunset wrapping up at 7:28 PM—the perfect window for a long day on the salt. We’re starting with a touch of early fog, but once that burns off, conditions are pleasant. Expect light south winds shifting north this afternoon, barely tickling the water at around 5 knots, and waves staying two feet or less. That means ideal small craft weather: good news for both shoreline casters and boaters. Tonight brings a chance of showers, so pack your raingear if you’re staying late. The tides are doing something worth noting: the morning high tide hit at 4:57 AM at just under 7 feet, slipping down to a mid-morning low around 11 AM at 1.4 feet, and rolling back high again by 5:24 PM. That plus the cool air makes for an active bite window mid-morning and late afternoon, so time your fishing accordingly, especially if you’re working the beach or casting from the marina piers. If you’re chasing salmon, you’re in the right place at the right time. According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, we’re seeing a pink salmon return estimated at 7.76 million—third largest on record and a massive 70% jump from typical cycles. Limits are up in most areas, which has the launch ramps buzzing and the rivers packed. Right now, hot spots include the mouths of the Green and Nisqually Rivers on the Sound, with pods of pinks pushing in tight on the incoming tide. Edmonds Pier and Dash Point are worth a cast, especially evenings this week, and don’t sleep on the Point No Point shoreline for boat action. Bank anglers: scale down. The bite’s been pressured since Labor Day and the key tip from local guides, like those featured on Holy Moly Outdoors, is “go light to get tight.” Leave the heavy salmon gear at home and grab a six-pound test on an ultralight trout rod. Quarter- and even eighth-ounce pink-and-white twitching jigs, little crappie jigs, or downsized spoons like the 1/8th ounce Buzz Bomb, are nabbing more fish than giant offerings. Add a curly tail soft plastic for extra pulse. Low water clarity? Go with brighter colors—think chartreuse, low sun, add flash. Boaters are scoring trolling through 20-40 feet of water with pink mini-hoochies behind a dodger or small rotating flasher, tipped with a bit of shrimp or herring strip. For a classic touch, drift a pink Buzz Bomb or a humpy killer from the drift—just be sure to stagger your depths and speed. The pinks are everywhere, and coho are starting to show—look for them deeper, off rips and tidal seams. Bottom dwellers, rockfish numbers are healthy. NOAA Fisheries’ late-August dive surveys reported strong rockfish reproduction across the region. If you’ve got a light setup, drop down small Ling Cod tubes or white grub jigs along rocky points—though mind the species and retention limits, especially with ESA-listed rockfish like yello This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.