Puget Sound spring kings and Pacific halibut peak in full moon window

What's Biting

What's Next

Tonight's full moon produces the month's largest tidal swings across Puget Sound — differentials of 12 feet or more between high and low are common in late May. The most productive fishing windows typically fall 30 to 60 minutes before slack water on either side of the tide peak. If you're targeting Chinook in the Sound, plan to be on the water and fishing at least an hour before predicted slack to intercept fish working the current edges.

Offshore, conditions are mixed. Swells were running near 6 feet at both buoy 46041 and buoy 46087 as of midday Sunday, with winds around 18 mph at 46041 and considerably lighter — under 7 mph — at 46087, suggesting the swell is building from a distant source rather than local wind. Conditions in this range make bar crossings uncomfortable for smaller boats, and the Pacific halibut grounds offshore will be a wait-and-see proposition through at least Monday. NOAA marine forecasts should be your first check before launching — a calmer mid-week window, if it arrives, would be the prime opportunity to run deeper for halibut.

Spring Chinook are typically winding down by early June in most WA coastal systems, making the next 7 to 10 days an important closing window for the spring king season. Mooching herring or running cut-plug at depth remains the conventional approach in Puget Sound. Trollers targeting the Pacific side should watch sea state closely; a calm morning window before afternoon sea-breeze chop builds can make all the difference on an offshore run.

As the season transitions into June, summer Chinook will begin building in some drainages and coho will start appearing in ocean waters off the WA coast — typically first around mid-June. Anglers who miss the final spring kings should have a reasonable coho season to look forward to within a few weeks.

Lingcod and rockfish on structure remain a consistent option when offshore conditions are too rough for a halibut run. The full moon's current surge is a feature for structure jiggers — drift-fishing rocky pinnacles during a running tide will put more lingcod in front of you than anchoring at dead slack. Let the moving water do the work during the ebb and flood, and slow down during slack for more deliberate presentations.

Context

Late May represents an on-schedule position in WA's saltwater calendar. Spring Chinook runs historically peak in April and May across the major coastal river systems and the Sound's principal fishing grounds, placing the final week of May at the tail end of the prime spring king window before the summer migration builds. Pacific halibut season — managed cooperatively by the International Pacific Halibut Commission and WDFW, with quota-linked openings and closures throughout the summer — typically has late May squarely in its active phase. Check current WDFW regulations and any IPHC in-season adjustments before heading out, as retention rules can change on short notice.

Buoy readings showing swells near 6 feet are consistent with normal late-spring Pacific weather. May in the Pacific Northwest is a transitional month: northwest swells and afternoon sea-breeze chop are routine, and multi-day windows of flat calm are the exception rather than the rule. The air temperature readings from both buoys — roughly 47 to 51°F — align with typical late-May surface conditions for this stretch of coast.

No direct historical comparison data arrived through this cycle's angler-intel feeds for Puget Sound and Pacific WA. WA WDFW Fishing Reports is the most authoritative public source for real-time catch data in the state; anglers seeking week-over-week or year-over-year comparison should check the WDFW creel report archive directly. The absence of charter or tackle-shop reports in this pull limits the ability to characterize how the 2026 spring season compares to prior years.

The full moon on May 31 falls at the close of spring, producing the strongest tidal exchanges of the month in the Sound and along the coast. Experienced anglers historically plan around these large tidal swings rather than fishing through peak current — speeds in constricted passages can make presentation difficult, but the transitions on either side of peak flow tend to concentrate predators and produce the bite windows worth building a trip around.