It may be difficult for outsiders to understand, but to many people living in Washington State, fishing is a way of life. The attractiveness of Seattle fishing becomes clearer after spending a bit of time on the water. The natural chinook salmon is probably the most popular fish on the menu, but other types are just as abundant, including rainbow trout and steelhead. The only thing that comes close to matching the sheer amount of prime fish swimming in Seattle’s waters are the world-class fishing spots in which to catch them.
Indeed, there are many great fishing locales that are popular among locals and tourists alike. Those new to the Washington fishing scene may want to consider these options as the benchmark for prime fishing in the state.
Lake Washington
This open-all-year fishing locale is a good spot for those anglers looking for both rainbow and cutthroat trout. The lake itself is some 20 miles long and those in the know say that anywhere on the water is a good option for fishing. That said, Mercer island is known to have some high-percentage catch spots as does the area just in front of Bill Gates’ house – if you can get there without being arrested.
Washington coastline
Salmon fisherman sojourning to Washington will want to head right to its coast — which covers some 150 miles all the way to Canada – and charter a boat. Here they will find an abundance of coho, Chinook and pink salmon all on the move to the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Fishing season on the south coast opens on June 28th and June 27th on the north. State-issued regulation pamphlets provide details on catch quotas as well as the days of the week when fishing is actually allowed.
Puget Sound central
Many residents of Washington highly recommend crabbing to visitors. And there are few better spots in the whole of the state to trap delicious Dungeness crab than Puget Sound. The areas of the eastern straight of Juan de Fuca, the Saratoga Passage and the Puget Sound center are all ideal areas to stuff a fish carcass in a crab pot and get to work.
Skykomish River
Open from June 1st through July 31st, Skykomish is the perfect place to go for hatchery steelhead trout and chinook salmon. Experts say the prime fishing spots along the river run from the Lewis Street bridge in Monroe all the way to Wallace River.
Puget Sound north
The north end of Puget Sound is rife with hatchery chinook, and it is open for business from July 16th through August 31st. The ideal spots to search for this salmon are from the northern end of Vishon Island to Admiralty Inlet. Experts also say that Midchannel Bank is a prime locale at the early part of the season.
It’s true there are plenty of guidelines governing just how the waters of Seattle can be fished. But with literally millions of popular fish swimming the waters, forecasts are being exceeded every year. That means there is no time like the present to get in on the Washington fishing scene.
Paul Bentley is an avid blogger and contributor to AllRiversGuideService.com. He likes sharing his fishing charter experiences with the blogging community.
