Best Time to Fish Edmonds

When to fish Edmonds

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.

Chinook Salmon: January poor, February poor, March fair, April poor, May fair, June peak, July peak, August peak, September poor, October poor, November poor, December poor. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May poor, June excellent, July peak, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November none, December none. Halibut: January none, February fair, March peak, April peak, May peak, June peak, July excellent, August poor, September none, October none, November none, December none. Lingcod: January good, February good, March excellent, April good, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Black Rockfish: January fair, February fair, March fair, April good, May good, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July good, August excellent, September excellent, October good, November fair, December fair. Surfperch: January poor, February poor, March fair, April fair, May good, June excellent, July excellent, August excellent, September excellent, October good, November fair, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January poor, February fair, March good, April excellent, May excellent, June good, July good, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December poor. Herring: January peak, February peak, March fair, April poor, May poor, June poor, July poor, August fair, September fair, October fair, November excellent, December excellent. Squid - Opal: January peak, February poor, March poor, April good, May none, June none, July none, August fair, September excellent, October excellent, November peak, December peak.

• Chinook Salmon. Edmonds (central Puget Sound, Area 9) sees Chinook peak in summer (mid-July through August) as maturing Puget Sound and Fraser-bound fish stage and migrate through, with the strongest abundance late July–early August. Resident 'blackmouth' (immature feeder) Chinook maintain a modest baseline presence through winter and spring, giving a secondary low plateau from December through June rather than a full absence.
• Coho Salmon. Edmonds coho are dominated by a strong fall run peaking late August through mid-September (weeks 34-37) as adults stage off the central Puget Sound waterfront before entering natal streams. A minor summer buildup of feeding 'resident' and returning coho appears from June-July (weeks 24-30), while winter months are biologically empty as fish have spawned and juveniles remain in freshwater.
• Halibut. Pacific halibut in Puget Sound's Central Basin near Edmonds (Marine Area 9) are a low-density stock that migrates inshore as water warms in late spring, peaking roughly late April through June when adults move onto local banks to feed before returning to deeper offshore/coastal waters through summer and fall. Winter presence is minimal but not fully zero, as a few resident fish linger in deep Sound channels year-round.
• Lingcod. Lingcod are resident, structure-oriented year-round in Puget Sound waters off Edmonds, so abundance never drops to zero. The pronounced late-winter/early-spring peak (Feb–Apr) reflects males moving to shallower nesting rocky reefs to guard egg masses, making them concentrated and locally abundant, with a mild secondary fall bump as post-spawn fish redistribute and feed heavily.
• Black Rockfish. Black rockfish are non-migratory, structure-oriented residents of Puget Sound waters near Edmonds and remain present year-round with minimal seasonal fluctuation in biological abundance. Slight aggregation shifts occur but stock presence stays essentially flat at baseline across all 52 weeks.
• Dungeness Crab. Dungeness crab are resident year-round in Puget Sound near Edmonds, so abundance never drops to zero, but legal hard-shell biomass peaks in late summer (August–September) after the spring/early-summer molt when crabs have refilled their shells and grown. Late winter and spring show a dip as many crabs are soft-shelled and lighter post-molt, with harvestable mature abundance rebuilding through summer.
• Surfperch. Surfperch are present year-round in Edmonds' Puget Sound waters, with a spring spawning aggregation (April–June) when gravid females and males gather near shorelines, and a strong late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) when warmer water and abundant bait concentrate fish near beaches and the pier. Winter shows the lowest presence as fish disperse to deeper, cooler water.
• Flounder / Sole (Flatfish). English sole and other flatfish are resident year-round in Puget Sound sandy flats near Edmonds, so abundance stays broadly stable. Spring (Apr–Jun) shows a peak as fish move into shallower nearshore waters post-spawn to feed with warming temperatures, with a secondary late-summer bump; winter shows the lowest presence as many fish retreat to deeper water during cold months.
• Herring. Puget Sound herring around Edmonds show a winter/early-spring pre-spawn and spawning aggregation (Jan–Apr) as fish stage in nearshore eelgrass, then thin out over summer when adults disperse offshore. Abundance rebuilds through fall into a strong late-year peak (Nov–Dec) as maturing fish return to stage for the coming winter spawn; herring never fully leave the Sound, so weights stay above zero year-round.
• Squid - Opal. Opal (market) squid in Puget Sound around Edmonds run a strong fall-through-winter migration into the pier waters, peaking roughly October–February with the biggest concentrations in late fall and early winter as squid move inshore to spawn near lighted structures. Numbers thin during late spring and summer (May–August) when squid stay offshore/deeper, then rebuild again in autumn.

Common questions about Edmonds