About Portage Head

Portage Head is an outer-exposed rocky drop-off off Neah Bay, Washington, where the bottom falls away through depths of 260 to 660 feet. Chinook Salmon peak from April through August and Coho Salmon from May through September, both taken by trolling flashers, hoochies, trolling spoons, and whole or cut-plug herring across the upper water column. Pacific Halibut hold along the deeper structure from April through July and respond to drift jigging with leadhead jigs, metal jigs, and swimbaits, while Lingcod concentrate over the rock from March through May and take metal jigs and swimbaits worked near the bottom. Rockfish and Pacific Cod round out the mix, with cod peaking January through March on metal jigs and shrimp flies. The rock and steep contour here concentrate fish along the edge, and jigging tactics work the full depth range down the face of the drop-off.