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July 2, 2025 by Justin Wong - Cut Plug Charters
July & August Salmon Fishing in Seattle: Summer Fishing at its Best
July and August mark the peak of our summer fishing season in Seattle as we chase king, coho, and pink salmon, and even do a little crabbing! These warmer months offer excellent weather and a wide variety of action-packed fishing, making it one of the best times of year for a family fishing charter on the Puget Sound.
What To Expect on a Seattle Fishing Charter in July & Early August
Although we continue to catch some coho throughout July, king salmon are the heroes as we reach the heart of our king salmon season from late July to Early August. We will have great opportunities to catch king salmon during this time frame over a wide spread of water, anywhere from the south end of Whidbey Island down to the Vashon Island area.
In early August, we also start to see the first waves of pink salmon begin coming into the Puget Sound.
What To Expect on a Seattle Fishing Charter in Mid-Late August
By mid-August, the king salmon start to transition into the rivers, and it will be full swing on the pink salmon. This marks our highest catch rate of the year, as the pink salmon come flooding into the area by the millions! In 2025, we are also excited to have a limit of 2 additional pink salmon, which means a combined daily salmon limit of 4 per person per day. And what does that mean? Lots of salmon fillets!
Later in August, ocean coho salmon will start to filter through the sound as well, which are normally ferocious feeding fish as they chase their last meal before heading into the streams to spawn.
July & August Salmon Fishing Techniques
Fishing techniques in July and August transition to almost exclusively mooching. Our bait of choice for mooching is cut plug herring in various sizes to match what is in the water on a given day. We primarily use light tackle for a more pure bait presentation, which makes for a fun fight when you hook a fish!
Summer Crabbing Opportunities in Seattle
We will also get to experience some crabbing for Dungeness crab in the Puget Sound on Sundays & Mondays from July through Labor Day weekend. Get your garlic butter and crab crackers ready, as the crabs are entering the traps and coming home with us in abundance!
What to Expect Next: September Outlook
September will be peak season for coho salmon, so if you haven’t made plans to visit us in July or August, you aren’t too late! Come visit us in September for some great salmon fishing in Seattle.
Posted In: Seattle Fishing Reports
