About Minnesota Reef

Minnesota Reef is a mixed-bottom flat off Oak Harbor, Washington, within Marine Area 7, holding water from 10 to 45 feet at mid exposure. Coho and Chinook Salmon are the summer draw here, both peaking from June through September, while Lingcod fill the late-winter window in February and March and Pacific Halibut run from March through June. Trolling flashers, hoochies, trolling spoons, and cut plug herring covers the salmon across the flat, and anglers working the mixed bottom for Lingcod lean on jigging with metal jigs, leadhead jigs with swimbaits, and bucktail jigs. Black Rockfish hold over the same structure from February into September and respond to metal jigs, leadhead jigs, and swimbaits worked near the bottom. Halibut come to drift jigging with leadhead jigs, metal jigs, and soft plastic swimbaits across the deeper end of the range.