ReelCaster

Best Time to Fish Port Townsend

Months come from each species' own season curve around Port Townsend. 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 Port Townsend

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 Port Townsend
SpeciesJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Halibut
Lingcod
Copper Rockfish
Black Rockfish
Dungeness Crab
Surfperch
Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)
Herring
Squid - Opal

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

  • Chinook Salmon. Port Townsend sits on the migratory highway of Admiralty Inlet, so Chinook peak sharply July–August as mature summer-run fish (Fraser, Skagit, and Puget Sound stocks) stage and transit toward natal rivers. A modest winter presence reflects resident 'blackmouth' feeder Chinook holding in the area from late fall through spring, with a spring dip as those immature fish thin out before the summer run builds.
  • Coho Salmon. Port Townsend coho are absent through winter and early spring, with feeder/resident 'blackmouth-style' immature coho building slowly through summer as they feed in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. The dominant peak is the returning adult fall run migrating through Admiralty Inlet from mid-August through September, tapering sharply by mid-October as fish push into rivers to spawn.
  • Halibut. Pacific halibut migrate onto shallower feeding grounds in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Port Townsend as water warms, peaking late spring through early summer (May–June) when adults are actively feeding after their winter offshore spawning migration. Abundance tapers through late summer and fall as fish move back to deeper offshore waters, with lowest local presence in winter when spawning occurs in deep continental slope waters outside the inland waters.
  • Lingcod. Lingcod are resident, non-migratory ambush predators present in Port Townsend's rocky reefs and channels year-round, so abundance never drops to zero. The clear late-winter/early-spring peak (Feb–Apr) reflects nest-guarding males concentrating on shallow rocky structure during the spawning and egg-guarding season, making them locally more abundant and catchable before dispersing back to deeper water in summer.
  • Copper Rockfish. Copper rockfish are non-migratory, long-lived resident groundfish that stay on the same rocky reefs and structure in the Port Townsend area year-round, so abundance is broadly flat near baseline. The modest summer-into-early-fall bump reflects warmer water pushing fish shallower and more concentrated on nearshore structure, plus juvenile recruits from spring/summer parturition adding to counts, while winter shows a slight dip as fish disperse deeper.
  • Black Rockfish. Black rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers in Port Townsend waters year-round, so abundance stays relatively flat with no true absences. A gentle summer-to-early-fall peak (July–September) reflects warmer water, active feeding, and shallower nearshore concentration, while cooler winter months see fish holding deeper and less densely aggregated.
  • Dungeness Crab. Dungeness crab are present year-round in Port Townsend waters, but biological abundance of legal-size hard-shell males peaks in mid-to-late summer (weeks 15-22) after winter growth and before the late-summer molt. Abundance dips slightly in late summer/early fall (weeks 33-36) when many crabs are soft-shelled and recovering post-molt, then stabilizes near baseline through winter.
  • Surfperch. Surfperch (mainly striped and pile perch) are present year-round in Port Townsend's beaches and shorelines, with a spring peak (Apr–May) as fish stage near shore for viviparous births and a stronger late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) when warmer water, abundant nearshore forage, and beach-holding schools maximize local density. Winter density dips as fish move to slightly deeper, more dispersed water.
  • Flounder / Sole (Flatfish). Flatfish (English/rock/sand sole, starry flounder) are resident year-round in Port Townsend's sandy/muddy bays, so abundance never drops to zero. Numbers build through spring as fish move into shallower nearshore flats to feed and stay elevated through summer and early fall (warm water, active foraging), with a mid-year peak around July–August before deeper winter dispersal into cooler months slightly thins the shallow-water counts.
  • Herring. Pacific Herring in Port Townsend/Admiralty Inlet waters peak in late winter to early spring (Feb–Apr) when adult spawning aggregations mass in nearshore eelgrass and kelp to deposit eggs, the region's signature herring event. Abundance dips in mid-summer as spent adults disperse to feed, with juveniles and mixed schools maintaining a moderate resident presence through fall; herring are never fully absent as they are a year-round baitfish in the Salish Sea.
  • Squid - Opal. Opal (market) squid in Puget Sound around Port Townsend show a bimodal inshore presence, with a spring/early-summer influx and a stronger late-fall/early-winter aggregation (Sept–Dec) when they move into shallower, structure-rich waters near piers to spawn. Abundance dips in mid-summer and late winter as squid disperse to deeper, cooler water, though they never fully vanish from the region.

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.

  • Dungeness Crab8 AM to 6 PM · 10 fishable hours
  • Surfperch8 AM to 6 PM · 10 fishable hours
  • Herring9 AM to 6 PM · 9 fishable hours
  • Squid - Opal9 AM to 6 PM · 9 fishable hours

By species

Chinook Salmon

Peaks in June and July.

Port Townsend sits on the migratory highway of Admiralty Inlet, so Chinook peak sharply July–August as mature summer-run fish (Fraser, Skagit, and Puget Sound stocks) stage and transit toward natal rivers. A modest winter presence reflects resident 'blackmouth' feeder Chinook holding in the area from late fall through spring, with a spring dip as those immature fish thin out before the summer run builds.

Coho Salmon

Peaks in July, August and September.

Port Townsend coho are absent through winter and early spring, with feeder/resident 'blackmouth-style' immature coho building slowly through summer as they feed in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. The dominant peak is the returning adult fall run migrating through Admiralty Inlet from mid-August through September, tapering sharply by mid-October as fish push into rivers to spawn.

Halibut

Peaks in April, May, June and July.

Pacific halibut migrate onto shallower feeding grounds in the Strait of Juan de Fuca near Port Townsend as water warms, peaking late spring through early summer (May–June) when adults are actively feeding after their winter offshore spawning migration. Abundance tapers through late summer and fall as fish move back to deeper offshore waters, with lowest local presence in winter when spawning occurs in deep continental slope waters outside the inland waters.

Lingcod

Excellent in April.

Lingcod are resident, non-migratory ambush predators present in Port Townsend's rocky reefs and channels year-round, so abundance never drops to zero. The clear late-winter/early-spring peak (Feb–Apr) reflects nest-guarding males concentrating on shallow rocky structure during the spawning and egg-guarding season, making them locally more abundant and catchable before dispersing back to deeper water in summer.

Copper Rockfish

Excellent in August.

Copper rockfish are non-migratory, long-lived resident groundfish that stay on the same rocky reefs and structure in the Port Townsend area year-round, so abundance is broadly flat near baseline. The modest summer-into-early-fall bump reflects warmer water pushing fish shallower and more concentrated on nearshore structure, plus juvenile recruits from spring/summer parturition adding to counts, while winter shows a slight dip as fish disperse deeper.

Black Rockfish

Excellent in June, July and August.

Black rockfish are resident, non-migratory reef dwellers in Port Townsend waters year-round, so abundance stays relatively flat with no true absences. A gentle summer-to-early-fall peak (July–September) reflects warmer water, active feeding, and shallower nearshore concentration, while cooler winter months see fish holding deeper and less densely aggregated.

Dungeness Crab

Excellent in May and July.

Dungeness crab are present year-round in Port Townsend waters, but biological abundance of legal-size hard-shell males peaks in mid-to-late summer (weeks 15-22) after winter growth and before the late-summer molt. Abundance dips slightly in late summer/early fall (weeks 33-36) when many crabs are soft-shelled and recovering post-molt, then stabilizes near baseline through winter.

Surfperch

Excellent in June, July and August.

Surfperch (mainly striped and pile perch) are present year-round in Port Townsend's beaches and shorelines, with a spring peak (Apr–May) as fish stage near shore for viviparous births and a stronger late-summer/early-fall peak (Aug–Sep) when warmer water, abundant nearshore forage, and beach-holding schools maximize local density. Winter density dips as fish move to slightly deeper, more dispersed water.

Flounder / Sole (Flatfish)

Excellent in June and July.

Flatfish (English/rock/sand sole, starry flounder) are resident year-round in Port Townsend's sandy/muddy bays, so abundance never drops to zero. Numbers build through spring as fish move into shallower nearshore flats to feed and stay elevated through summer and early fall (warm water, active foraging), with a mid-year peak around July–August before deeper winter dispersal into cooler months slightly thins the shallow-water counts.

Herring

Peaks in January and February.

Pacific Herring in Port Townsend/Admiralty Inlet waters peak in late winter to early spring (Feb–Apr) when adult spawning aggregations mass in nearshore eelgrass and kelp to deposit eggs, the region's signature herring event. Abundance dips in mid-summer as spent adults disperse to feed, with juveniles and mixed schools maintaining a moderate resident presence through fall; herring are never fully absent as they are a year-round baitfish in the Salish Sea.

Squid - Opal

Peaks in September, October, November and December.

Opal (market) squid in Puget Sound around Port Townsend show a bimodal inshore presence, with a spring/early-summer influx and a stronger late-fall/early-winter aggregation (Sept–Dec) when they move into shallower, structure-rich waters near piers to spawn. Abundance dips in mid-summer and late winter as squid disperse to deeper, cooler water, though they never fully vanish from the region.

Common questions about Port Townsend

›What is the best time of year to fish Port Townsend?

It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June and July. Coho Salmon peaks in July, August and September. Halibut peaks in April, May, June and July. Lingcod is excellent in April. Copper Rockfish is excellent in August. Black Rockfish is excellent in June, July and August.

›What time of day is best to fish Port Townsend?

On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Dungeness Crab 8 AM to 6 PM, Surfperch 8 AM to 6 PM, Herring 9 AM to 6 PM and Squid - Opal 9 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.