Today's best fishing in Bellingham: 7 AM to 10 AM
This page is full of real data to show you what you can see with ReelCaster in Bellingham.
Today's best fishing in Bellingham: 7 AM to 10 AM
Updated today
What's biting now near Bellingham: Coho
Coho fishing at Hein Bank looks good today.
ReelCaster scores every hour at Hein Bank from 0 to 100, reading the tide, current, wind and weather for Coho. The higher the score, the better your odds. Green means go.
Pro is free for 7 days: all 14 days, full catch reports and text alerts for Hein Bank.
Start free trialEvery spot is scored for today, out of 100. Green is worth the trip, amber is fair, red is slow.
The next 14 days in Bellingham
Data from: ECMWF + GFS + BlueCasterTwo weeks ahead
Most forecasts stop at the weekend. This one runs a full 14 days, so you can pick the day before you book the time off.
One number, out of 100
The best score anything in Bellingham reaches that day. Green is good, amber is fair, red is slow, and you can read it from across the room.
18,480 scores behind it
55 spots, every hour of every day, out to 14. This row is the best of them.
Hour by hour today at Hein Bank
All times PDTOne real spot
A city has no tide or wind of its own, so this is Hein Bank, the most fished mark in Bellingham, scored for Coho Salmon.
Six readings, one clock
Tide, current, wind, sea, air and sky, all lined up on the same hour, so you can see what is actually driving the score.
Currents, not just tides
Modelled flow for the water off Bellingham, so you can see slack coming before you leave the dock.
What others are saying about ReelCaster Pro
The spots people actually fish in Bellingham
49 more on the mapA year of catch reports
The order here is how much each mark actually gets fished, not today's guess. The busiest water in Bellingham comes first.
Today's number too
Beside each name is the best score that spot reaches today, so you can weigh a proven mark against a good forecast.
Every mark has a page
Its own chart, its own species and its own rules, worked out the same way as everything above.
- 88Hein BankBest 7 AM–10 AM · Early flood · Flat
- 88Alden BankBest 7 AM–10 AM · Mid flood · Flat
- 88Partridge BankBest 7 AM–10 AM · Late flood · Flat
- 88Lopez PassBest 7 AM–10 AM · Mid flood · Flat · Mixed bottom
- 88Lawson ReefBest 7 AM–10 AM · Early flood · Flat · Mixed bottom
- 88Thatcher PassBest 2 PM–5 PM · Late flood · Flat
Every spot we score in Bellingham
Bathymetry: NONNA-10 + NRCanReal charted seabed
Depth soundings, not a stock map. The banks, reefs and drop-offs are where you can see them.
55 marks, all scored
Every spot we cover around Bellingham, each one carrying its own number for today.
Point at any of them
The name, how busy a mark it is, and the tide, sea and seabed at its best hour.
Create custom spots
Our full model on your custom private spots.
- Drop a pinAnywhere on the water. The ledge you found, the bay nobody talks about.
- Name itYour name for it, not ours. It stays private to your account.
- Choose speciesPick what you fish there, and it starts scoring from the next run.
What you can keep in Bellingham today
- Coho SalmonKeep2 a dayOpen at all 52 spots we cover
- HalibutKeep1 a dayOpen at all 55 spots we cover
- CabezonKeep1 a day · min 18"Open at all 16 spots we cover
- Kelp GreenlingKeep15 a dayOpen at all 13 spots we cover
- Chinook SalmonReleaseCatch and release at all 55 spots we cover
- LingcodClosedShut at all 55 spots we cover
- Black RockfishClosedShut at all 22 spots we cover
- Rockfish (Aggregate)ClosedShut at all 28 spots we cover
Rules differ between marine areas and change in season. Check WDFW for the marine area you are fishing before you keep anything.
What you can catch in Bellingham
Chinook Salmon
Catch and release- Peak season
- Peak Jun-Sep
- Next opening
- opens 16 Jul
- Methods described
- 3 methods
Lingcod
Closed today- Peak season
- Peak Nov-Feb, Mar-Jun
- Next opening
- opens 1 May
- Methods described
- 2 methods
Halibut
Open at all 53 spots- Peak season
- Peak Apr-Aug
- Methods described
- 2 methods
Coho Salmon
Open at all 52 spots- Peak season
- Peak Jun-Oct
- Methods described
- 3 methods
That was one day. Pro opens the next fourteen.
Every spot on this map, hour by hour, two weeks out, with alerts when your water crosses the score you set.
$0 today, then $33 USD a year, which is $2.75 a month. Card required, cancel any time.
When to fish Bellingham
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 | ||||||||||||
| Black Rockfish | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) | ||||||||||||
| Cabezon | ||||||||||||
| Kelp Greenling |
Chinook Salmon: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May fair, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September excellent, October fair, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April poor, May poor, June good, July peak, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February none, March fair, April excellent, May peak, June peak, July peak, August peak, September fair, October none, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February good, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November good, December good. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Cabezon: January good, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November good, December good. Kelp Greenling: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July good, August good, September good, October good, November good, December good.
- Chinook Salmon. Bellingham-area Chinook (Areas 7/7B) peak in mid-to-late summer as North Sound and Fraser-bound stocks stage through Rosario Strait and the San Juans, with a clear July–August abundance high. A secondary winter blackmouth (resident feeder) presence keeps numbers moderate from late fall through early spring, with the lowest biological presence in late spring as outmigrating smolts have left and mature returns haven't yet arrived.
- Coho Salmon. Coho abundance in Bellingham-area waters (Bellingham Bay, Samish Bay, north Puget Sound) builds slowly through spring/summer as resident 'blackmouth'-style and feeder coho grow, ramps sharply in August as Fraser, Skagit, and Nooksack-bound migrants stage, and peaks late August through mid-September before fish push into the rivers. Numbers drop quickly through October and the stock is essentially absent from saltwater December through April.
- Halibut. Pacific Halibut migrate from deep offshore winter spawning grounds into inland waters near Bellingham as they follow forage onto the shallower banks in spring, peaking in mid-April through May. Abundance tapers through summer and fall as fish move back offshore to deeper shelf-edge habitat by late fall.
- Lingcod. Lingcod are resident year-round in the rocky reefs and pinnacles of the San Juans and Bellingham-area waters, so the curve never drops to zero. Abundance peaks in late spring through early summer (May–June) when mature fish move shallower to guard nests and aggregate on structure, then gradually declines through summer as fish disperse deeper. A mild winter low reflects post-spawn dispersal and deeper holding before the pre-spawn build-up resumes in late winter.
- Black Rockfish. Black rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers in Bellingham's San Juan/Rosario waters, so they're present year-round with only modest seasonal shifts. Abundance peaks in mid-to-late summer (July–August) when warmer water boosts baitfish schools and pushes fish into more accessible nearshore and shallow reef habitat, while winter shows a slight dip as fish hold deeper and less concentrated.
- Rockfish (Aggregate). Rockfish (mainly copper, quillback, black, yelloweye) are resident, long-lived, non-migratory species in Bellingham/San Juan waters, so abundance is essentially flat year-round. Slight spring bump reflects post-winter movement onto shallower reefs and pre-spawn aggregation (most local rockfish are live-bearers parturating spring through summer), with a mild winter dip as fish hold deeper and disperse.
- Cabezon. Cabezon are resident, non-migratory ambush predators in Bellingham's rocky nearshore waters (San Juans, Chuckanut, Lummi reefs), so they're present year-round with a broad, flat curve. A modest spring peak (March–May) reflects nest-guarding males staging on shallow rocky structure during spawn, making them more concentrated and visible; late fall/winter shows slightly lower apparent abundance as fish disperse deeper in colder, stormier water.
- Kelp Greenling. Kelp Greenling are year-round resident reef fish in Bellingham/San Juan waters with relatively stable abundance, but show a late-summer through early-fall peak (Aug–Oct) when juveniles recruit to nearshore kelp and adults aggregate for spawning. Winter shows mild decline as fish move slightly deeper off the rocky reefs.
Before you go
Water around Bellingham falls into 2 areas, and the rules can differ between them. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sets them.
- 6 6 — East Juan de Fuca Strait
- 7 7 — San Juan Islands
Saltwater fishing licence
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife · 2026-27
Annual, Resident, 16 to 69: $40.71
Puget Sound Dungeness crab $11.89, required to drop a pot in Puget Sound, on top of a shellfish licence.
A saltwater licence does not cover shellfish. The combination licence covers both and works out cheaper than buying them apart.
Fishing Bellingham
Bellingham sits on the northeastern shore of Washington's Salish Sea, with access to the channels, banks, and rocky reefs scattered across the waters around Bellingham Bay and the San Juan approaches. Chinook Salmon anchor the summer fishery from June through September, followed by Coho Salmon that hold through October, while Lingcod peaks in the cooler months from November into February and again in spring. The 55 spots here range from sheltered inside channels and drop-offs to exposed banks and rocky headlands that concentrate bottomfish like Rockfish and Lingcod. Pacific Halibut fills out the calendar from April through August, giving the area a fishery that carries across most of the year. Anglers working the summer salmon runs rely heavily on downrigger trolling through the productive channels and open water.
Launch out of Squalicum Harbor and read the tide before you commit to anything. The ebb rips through Hale Passage and stacks bait along the Lummi Island shore, so work the tail of the flood and the first hour of the ebb near Point Migley. Downriggers at 80 to 120 feet along the drop-offs, then slide shallower as the light goes. Summer afternoons build a northwest chop across the bay, so go early. When a Fraser northeasterly shuts the strait down, tuck into the Chuckanut rock edges and jig.
Common questions about Bellingham
›What's the best time of year to fish Bellingham, Washington?
Mid summer through early fall is the strongest all round window. Chinook build through June and hold at their best in July and August before tapering in September, while coho peak from July into September and stay strong through October. Spring is the other standout, with halibut moving onto the shallower banks from April through the summer and lingcod and rockfish holding well on the reefs. Winter is quieter for salmon but bottom species such as cabezon and lingcod remain active on nearshore rock.
›What fish can you catch around Bellingham and where do they hold?
The salmon side is dominated by Chinook and coho that stage through Rosario Strait, the San Juans and the Bellingham Bay approaches as they move toward the Nooksack and other North Sound rivers, with chum and pink salmon showing up in smaller numbers. Bottom fishing centres on rocky reefs and pinnacles around the San Juans, Chuckanut and the Lummi area, which hold lingcod, rockfish, cabezon and kelp greenling. Pacific halibut use the deeper banks in spring and summer, and Pacific cod and pollock turn up over deeper mixed ground. Dungeness crab and Pacific herring round out the local list.
›When is halibut fishing best near Bellingham?
Pacific halibut are a spring and summer fish here. They move in from deep offshore wintering grounds as they follow forage onto the shallower banks, with the strongest showing from roughly April or May through August. Numbers fall off through September and the fish are effectively gone from local waters by late fall, so plan halibut trips for the warmer half of the year.
›What techniques work best for fishing Bellingham?
Downrigger trolling is the workhorse for Chinook and coho, since it lets you hold a bait or spoon at the depth fish are feeding along current lines and drop offs. Mooching and live bait drifting are the classic alternatives when salmon are stacked on herring, and both fish well on tide changes. For lingcod, rockfish, cabezon and greenling, jigging and drifting over rocky structure is the standard approach, while straight bait fishing covers halibut and cod on the deeper banks.
›Can you fish from shore in Bellingham, or do you need a boat?
A boat opens up most of the water that matters here, because the reefs, pinnacles and deep banks that hold lingcod, rockfish and halibut sit well offshore, and downrigger trolling and mooching for salmon are boat based methods. Shore anglers still have options where rocky shoreline and kelp edges come close to deep water, since cabezon and kelp greenling are resident nearshore fish that will take a jig or bait cast from the rocks. Salmon staging in the bay approaches in late summer and fall can also come within reach of beach casters.
›What conditions should I watch before heading out of Bellingham?
Tidal current is the biggest factor in this part of the North Sound. Rosario Strait and the passes through the San Juans run hard on big exchanges, which concentrates bait and fires up the bite but also builds steep water when wind opposes the tide. Plan trips around the tide swing rather than the clock, and treat late fall and winter with extra caution, when storms and short daylight make the crossings less forgiving. Local waters fall under Washington's East Juan de Fuca Strait and San Juan Islands management areas, so check which one you are fishing before you leave the dock.