ReelCaster

Best Time to Fish Olympia

Months come from each species' own season curve around Olympia. 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.

When to fish Olympia

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.

Relative abundance by month for each species around Olympia
SpeciesJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Chum salmon
Dungeness Crab
Surfperch
Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)
Herring
Squid - Opal

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

  • Chinook Salmon. Olympia sits at the far south end of Puget Sound (South Sound), so Chinook are terminal-run fish staging and migrating toward the Deschutes/Nisqually river systems, peaking late July through early September (weeks 30–36) as mature fish stack up before the fall spawning push. Abundance builds through summer with resident 'blackmouth' immature Chinook providing modest winter presence, then drops sharply in October once spawners enter freshwater, leaving only sparse resident feeders through the cold months.
  • Coho Salmon. South Puget Sound coho are strongly seasonal; adults stage and push into deep South Sound waters near Olympia from late summer through fall, peaking early-to-mid September before entering the Deschutes and other terminal streams by mid-October. Faint spring/summer signal reflects immature 'resident' or feeder coho present in modest numbers as they grow, but the stock is biologically absent from these inner waters through winter and early spring.
  • Chum salmon. South Puget Sound chum stage and return to Olympia-area waters (Nisqually, Deschutes, and lower Sound terminal areas) in a tight late fall pulse, peaking early-to-mid November as fish push toward natal streams in cooling water. They are biologically absent the rest of the year while at sea, with abundance collapsing by early December after spawning fish move upriver.
  • Dungeness Crab. In South Puget Sound near Olympia, Dungeness are present year-round but abundance of legal-sized, hard-shell crab peaks mid-to-late summer (July–August) after the spring molt when crabs harden and forage heavily. Early summer (June–early July) shows a dip as many males are soft-shelled post-molt, while winter numbers stay moderate as crabs move deeper and slow their activity in colder water.
  • Surfperch. South Puget Sound surfperch (shiner and pile perch) are resident year-round in Olympia's protected waters, so abundance never drops to zero. The spring peak (Mar-Apr) reflects pre-spawn staging as viviparous perch aggregate in shallows, and the strongest fall peak (Sep-Oct) reflects warm-water feeding concentrations near docks and shorelines before winter dispersal into deeper, cooler water.
  • Flounder / Sole (Flatfish). Flatfish (starry flounder, English/rock sole) are resident year-round in South Puget Sound's soft-bottom bays around Olympia, so abundance never drops to zero. The strongest peak is late spring through early summer (May–July) as fish move into shallower, warmer feeding flats after winter spawning, with a secondary bump in early fall before they retreat to deeper, cooler water in mid-winter.
  • Herring. South Puget Sound herring stocks (Squaxin Pass/Olympia area) concentrate for late-winter to early-spring spawning, peaking roughly late January through April when adults mass on shallow eelgrass and macroalgae to deposit eggs. Numbers thin through summer as spawned adults disperse to deeper feeding grounds and offshore, then gradually rebuild in fall as pre-spawn aggregations return to inner South Sound waters.
  • Squid - Opal. Opal (market) squid move into South Puget Sound around Olympia in two main pulses, a strong fall-winter run peaking late Oct–Dec as squid follow bait into shallow, lit waters, and a secondary late-spring/early-summer push. Presence dips in mid-summer when warmer surface water and spawning cycles thin the schools, but they never fully vanish from these protected inland waters.

Time of day on November 1, 2026

These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.

  • Chinook Salmon4 PM to 6 PM · 5 fishable hours
  • Coho Salmon3 PM to 6 PM · 6 fishable hours
  • Surfperch8 AM to 6 PM · 10 fishable hours
  • Herring8 AM to 6 PM · 10 fishable hours
  • Squid - Opal8 AM to 6 PM · 10 fishable hours

By species

Chinook Salmon

Peaks in June, July and August.

Olympia sits at the far south end of Puget Sound (South Sound), so Chinook are terminal-run fish staging and migrating toward the Deschutes/Nisqually river systems, peaking late July through early September (weeks 30–36) as mature fish stack up before the fall spawning push. Abundance builds through summer with resident 'blackmouth' immature Chinook providing modest winter presence, then drops sharply in October once spawners enter freshwater, leaving only sparse resident feeders through the cold months.

Coho Salmon

Peaks in August and September.

South Puget Sound coho are strongly seasonal; adults stage and push into deep South Sound waters near Olympia from late summer through fall, peaking early-to-mid September before entering the Deschutes and other terminal streams by mid-October. Faint spring/summer signal reflects immature 'resident' or feeder coho present in modest numbers as they grow, but the stock is biologically absent from these inner waters through winter and early spring.

Chum salmon

Peaks in October and November.

South Puget Sound chum stage and return to Olympia-area waters (Nisqually, Deschutes, and lower Sound terminal areas) in a tight late fall pulse, peaking early-to-mid November as fish push toward natal streams in cooling water. They are biologically absent the rest of the year while at sea, with abundance collapsing by early December after spawning fish move upriver.

Dungeness Crab

Excellent in July and August.

In South Puget Sound near Olympia, Dungeness are present year-round but abundance of legal-sized, hard-shell crab peaks mid-to-late summer (July–August) after the spring molt when crabs harden and forage heavily. Early summer (June–early July) shows a dip as many males are soft-shelled post-molt, while winter numbers stay moderate as crabs move deeper and slow their activity in colder water.

Surfperch

Excellent in April, May, June and July.

South Puget Sound surfperch (shiner and pile perch) are resident year-round in Olympia's protected waters, so abundance never drops to zero. The spring peak (Mar-Apr) reflects pre-spawn staging as viviparous perch aggregate in shallows, and the strongest fall peak (Sep-Oct) reflects warm-water feeding concentrations near docks and shorelines before winter dispersal into deeper, cooler water.

Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)

Good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.

Flatfish (starry flounder, English/rock sole) are resident year-round in South Puget Sound's soft-bottom bays around Olympia, so abundance never drops to zero. The strongest peak is late spring through early summer (May–July) as fish move into shallower, warmer feeding flats after winter spawning, with a secondary bump in early fall before they retreat to deeper, cooler water in mid-winter.

Herring

Peaks in January and February.

South Puget Sound herring stocks (Squaxin Pass/Olympia area) concentrate for late-winter to early-spring spawning, peaking roughly late January through April when adults mass on shallow eelgrass and macroalgae to deposit eggs. Numbers thin through summer as spawned adults disperse to deeper feeding grounds and offshore, then gradually rebuild in fall as pre-spawn aggregations return to inner South Sound waters.

Squid - Opal

Peaks in September, October, November and December.

Opal (market) squid move into South Puget Sound around Olympia in two main pulses, a strong fall-winter run peaking late Oct–Dec as squid follow bait into shallow, lit waters, and a secondary late-spring/early-summer push. Presence dips in mid-summer when warmer surface water and spawning cycles thin the schools, but they never fully vanish from these protected inland waters.

Common questions about Olympia

›What is the best time of year to fish Olympia?

It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in August and September. Chum salmon peaks in October and November. Dungeness Crab is excellent in July and August. Surfperch is excellent in April, May, June and July. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) is good in March, April, May, June, July, August and September.

›What time of day is best to fish Olympia?

On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Chinook Salmon 4 PM to 6 PM, Coho Salmon 3 PM to 6 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 6 PM, Herring 8 AM to 6 PM and Squid - Opal 8 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.