Puget Sound Winter Fishing: Targeting Cutthroat, Coho, and Early Steelhead Runs

For December 19, 2024, in the Puget Sound area around Seattle, here’s what you can expect for your fishing trip. ### Tidal and Weather Conditions Today, the tide times for Olympia, Budd Inlet, are as follows: Low Tide at 1:51 AM with -1.67 ft, High Tide at 9:22 AM with 16.03 ft, Low Tide at 3:29 PM with 7.61 ft, and High Tide at 7:33 PM with 11.83 ft[2][5]. Sunrise is at 7:54 AM and sunset at 4:24 PM. The weather is expected to be calm, making it a good day for fishing. ### Fish Activity This time of year, the Puget Sound is seeing some exciting fish activity. Early-returning hatchery steelhead are starting to show up in rivers like the Snoqualmie and Skykomish. Wild steelhead returns typically begin in January, but you might catch a few early runners now[4]. For saltwater fishing, sea-run cutthroat and resident coho are active. The cutthroat fishing has been improving, especially with the chum fry migration getting closer. Look for moving water and early morning outgoing tides for the best results[1]. ### Best Lures and Bait For sea-run cutthroat, use fly patterns like Sculpin, Euphassiid and Krill, and small suggestive patterns mimicking copepods, amphipods, and other small crustacean larvae. A chum fry pattern can also be effective[1]. For coho and steelhead, baitfish patterns like a Foul Free Herring or a Mini Deceiver work well. If you're targeting steelhead, consider using sink tips and a variety of flies to adapt to changing water conditions[1]. ### Hot Spots One of the hot spots is the South Puget Sound beaches, where you can find sea-run cutthroat and resident coho. Look for areas with moving water, especially during early morning outgoing tides[1]. Another good spot is the Snoqualmie and Skykomish rivers for early-returning hatchery steelhead. These rivers offer exciting opportunities as the steelhead runs peak into January and February[4]. Overall, it's a great time to get out on the water in the Puget Sound, with a variety of fish species active and favorable tidal and weather conditions. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.