Months come from each species' own season curve around Anacortes. A strong month is strong for that fish, not a ranking against the others. Time of day, when it is shown, is today's forecast and moves with the tide.
Each row is shaded against that species' own best month here, so a dark cell means a good month for that fish rather than a comparison between them.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring | ||||||||||||
| Squid - Opal |
Chinook Salmon: January poor, February poor, March fair, April good, May good, June peak, July peak, August peak, September poor, October none, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May poor, June good, July peak, August peak, September peak, October good, November none, December none. Halibut: January poor, February poor, March good, April peak, May peak, June peak, July excellent, August fair, September poor, October poor, November poor, December poor. Lingcod: January fair, February good, March excellent, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January fair, February fair, March fair, April poor, May fair, June good, July excellent, August peak, September excellent, October good, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January fair, February fair, March good, April good, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Herring: January excellent, February peak, March excellent, April good, May poor, June poor, July poor, August poor, September fair, October fair, November fair, December good. Squid - Opal: January peak, February fair, March none, April poor, May fair, June good, July good, August fair, September fair, October good, November excellent, December peak.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June, July and August.
Anacortes-area waters (San Juans/Rosario Strait/Skagit approaches) see peak Chinook abundance mid-July through early August as summer-run fish stage before entering the Fraser, Skagit, and Puget Sound rivers. A modest secondary lift in spring (Apr–May) reflects Fraser and Columbia-origin migrants passing through, while resident (blackmouth) sub-legal and feeder Chinook maintain a baseline presence through winter months.
Peaks in July, August and September.
Coho are absent through winter and spring in Anacortes waters (San Juan Islands/Rosario Strait), with feeder/resident coho building slowly from June as juveniles grow. Peak abundance hits late August through September (weeks 34–36) as maturing coho stage and migrate through toward Puget Sound and Fraser/Skagit rivers, then taper sharply into October as fish enter freshwater to spawn.
Peaks in April, May and June.
Pacific halibut migrate into the deeper waters and banks accessible from Anacortes (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca approaches) in spring, peaking roughly April–May as fish move onto shallower feeding grounds after winter spawning in deeper offshore waters. Abundance tapers through summer and fall as fish disperse and retreat to deeper wintering areas, with a low but nonzero baseline in winter since some fish remain in the region.
Excellent in March.
Lingcod are resident year-round in the rocky reefs and channels around Anacortes, so abundance never drops to zero. Late winter through early spring (Feb–Apr) shows the strongest concentration as mature fish move to nest-guarding sites on shallow structure, and a secondary bump in late summer/early fall reflects post-spawn feeding aggregations before the fish disperse deeper in winter.
Peaks in August.
Dungeness crab are resident in Anacortes/San Juan waters year-round, so abundance never drops to zero. Legal-size hard-shell abundance dips in late spring/early summer during the molt (soft-shell period), then peaks in late summer through fall (Aug–Oct) as crab harden up and fill out, before gradually tapering through winter.
Excellent in June and July.
Black rockfish are non-migratory resident reef fish around Anacortes' rocky structure and remain present year-round, so the curve stays near baseline. A modest summer peak (July–August) reflects warmer, more stable nearshore water concentrating fish shallower and increasing feeding activity, with a slight taper into fall as temperatures drop.
Excellent in May, June, July and August.
Shiner and pile/striped surfperch are resident in Anacortes-area waters year-round, so abundance never drops to zero, but numbers swell as fish stage along beaches and pilings for spring/summer parturition (viviparous, releasing live young late spring through summer). The strongest peak is late summer (Aug–Sep) when adults and newly recruited juveniles concentrate in shallow nearshore structure before dispersing to deeper water for winter.
Excellent in June and July.
Flatfish (English/rock/sand sole, starry flounder) are resident year-round in the shallow sandy/muddy flats around Anacortes and Fidalgo/Padilla Bay, so abundance stays broad and near baseline. A modest early-spring bump reflects pre-spawn staging, with the strongest presence in summer (June–August) when warmer inshore water concentrates feeding fish on the flats; winter shows a gentle dip as some fish move to slightly deeper, more stable water.
Peaks in February.
Pacific herring aggregate densely in the Cherry Point/north Sound waters near Anacortes during late-winter to spring pre-spawn and spawning (Feb–May), producing the strong peak around weeks 5–8. Post-spawn adults disperse and thin through early summer, then juveniles and returning schools rebuild presence through fall to a steady baseline, since resident stocks keep herring biologically present year-round.
Peaks in January and December.
Opal (market) squid in the Anacortes/Puget Sound area peak in late summer through fall (roughly July–October) when adults move inshore to spawn around lit piers and warmer nearshore waters. Abundance dips in late spring/early summer as older cohorts die off after spawning, with a gradual rebuild through winter into the next inshore movement.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in July, August and September. Halibut peaks in April, May and June. Lingcod is excellent in March. Dungeness Crab peaks in August. Black Rockfish is excellent in June and July.
On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Dungeness Crab 8 AM to 6 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 6 PM, Herring 9 AM to 6 PM and Squid - Opal 11 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.