Spring Salmon Push Builds Along Pacific WA Coast as Seas Stay Moderate

What's Biting

What's Next

The moderate swell pattern running along the Pacific WA coast — 5.2 to 5.9 feet at NOAA buoys 46041 and 46087 respectively — reflects a typical northwest spring setup that can ease or build quickly depending on offshore pressure systems. If swells moderate over the next two to three days, protected Puget Sound inlets and areas near major river mouths should open up better trolling windows for chinook.

Saltwater Sportsman documented chinook and coho action at Buoy 10 on the Columbia River mouth, and that fish movement typically progresses northward along the Pacific WA coast as May advances. Outer-coast anglers should watch for morning swell breaks; 5–6-foot conditions make precise depth control on downriggers difficult and can scatter bait rigs. The best access windows will likely fall mid-morning to early afternoon when any overnight swells have had time to lay down.

In Puget Sound, the last-quarter moon this weekend reduces overnight ambient light — a mixed signal for salmon, but dawn and late-afternoon bites tend to hold up regardless of moon phase. Scheduling launches around first-light flood tides gives the best overlap of actively moving fish and comfortable sea state. Flasher-hoochie rigs on downriggers at 80–120 feet are the conventional early-May workhorse for Puget Sound kings; no specific source this cycle reported depth adjustments from that historical range, so treat it as general seasonal guidance.

Pacific halibut season is typically open in Washington waters through spring — verify current WDFW area-specific quotas and closures before running offshore. Cool air temps at both buoys (11–12°C) suggest surface waters remain cold, which favors halibut holding on sandy-mud shelf edges at 200–300 feet. Bottom-fishing with whole or cut herring on circle hooks remains the standard approach when targeting coastal halibut.

Recreational Dungeness crab anglers should check current WDFW season status before running pots — area openings and closures vary on short notice. Sandy or mixed-bottom approaches in 30–80 feet are standard. The weekend last-quarter moon window (May 10–11) should not significantly impact crab activity, which is less light-sensitive than finfish feeding.

Context

May sits at the center of spring salmon season across Washington's saltwater fisheries. Chinook bound for Puget Sound river systems — including major runs targeting the Skagit, Snohomish, and Fraser drainage — begin staging offshore in April and move actively through Sound channels and river mouths from May into June, making this traditionally one of the stronger windows for recreational king salmon fishing in the region. A typical May season mixes smaller immature chinook with some mature fish in the 20–30-pound range, depending on stock and location.

The 5–6-foot sea state logged by NOAA buoys 46041 and 46087 is broadly consistent with Pacific WA spring norms — northwest swell dominates the outer coast through most of May and 4–7-foot days are common. Notably, water temperature data returned null at both buoys this reporting period, making direct comparison to historical surface temperature benchmarks impossible this cycle. In prior years, May Pacific WA surface temps typically range from the upper 40s to mid-50s°F; the cool air temps at both buoys (52–54°F) suggest cold surface conditions consistent with that range, but no confirmation is available from this data set.

WA Sea Grant's ongoing work in Grays Harbor — including the Crab Team European green crab monitoring effort documented this spring — reflects the active ecosystem surveillance underway across coastal Washington, though it does not directly characterize fishing conditions. No agency-sourced catch-per-unit-effort data or hatchery return forecasts for Puget Sound chinook were available in this reporting cycle's feeds, making it difficult to characterize 2026 as running early, late, or on pace relative to historical norms. For hatchery return projections and area-specific fishing opportunity updates, consult WA WDFW Fishing Reports directly ahead of any planned trip.