Months come from each species' own season curve around Westport. 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.
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.
| Species | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Coho Salmon | ||||||||||||
| Halibut | ||||||||||||
| Lingcod | ||||||||||||
| Albacore tuna | ||||||||||||
| Rockfish (Aggregate) | ||||||||||||
| Dungeness Crab | ||||||||||||
| Surfperch | ||||||||||||
| Flounder / Sole (Flatfish) | ||||||||||||
| Herring | ||||||||||||
| Squid - Opal |
Chinook Salmon: January none, February none, March poor, April fair, May excellent, June peak, July peak, August peak, September good, October none, November none, December none. Coho Salmon: January none, February none, March none, April none, May poor, June peak, 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 excellent, September poor, October none, November none, December none. Lingcod: January fair, February good, March excellent, April good, May fair, June fair, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Albacore tuna: January none, February none, March none, April none, May none, June none, July excellent, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November none, December none. Rockfish (Aggregate): January fair, February fair, March fair, April fair, May good, June good, July excellent, August good, September good, October fair, November fair, December fair. Dungeness Crab: January good, February good, March fair, April fair, May fair, June fair, July fair, August fair, September good, October good, November excellent, December excellent. Surfperch: January poor, February fair, March excellent, April peak, May excellent, June excellent, July good, August good, September fair, October fair, November poor, December poor. Flounder / Sole (Flatfish): January poor, February fair, March excellent, April excellent, May excellent, June excellent, July excellent, August good, September fair, October poor, November poor, December poor. Herring: January excellent, February peak, March good, April poor, May fair, June excellent, July good, August fair, September fair, October fair, November fair, December fair. Squid - Opal: January none, February none, March poor, April poor, May fair, June peak, July peak, August peak, September peak, October excellent, November poor, December none.
These are today's forecast windows, taken at the spot leading each species. They are not a standing schedule.
Peaks in June, July and August.
Chinook abundance off Westport peaks in mid-summer (late June through August) as maturing ocean-feeding fish stage near the Grays Harbor and Columbia River approaches ahead of fall spawning runs. Numbers build through spring as immature and feeder Chinook move into the coastal shelf, then drop sharply in September as adults enter the rivers, leaving a low winter baseline of scattered feeder kings.
Peaks in June, July, August and September.
Westport coho are strongly single-peaked with ocean abundance building through summer as maturing fish stage off the harbor, peaking late August through mid-September (weeks 34-36) before fish push into the Grays Harbor/Chehalis system. A minor spring shoulder (weeks 12-19) reflects immature 'feeder' coho and returning jacks in the nearshore, with true biological absence in winter once adults have spawned upriver.
Peaks in April, May, June and July.
Pacific halibut off Westport concentrate on nearshore banks (e.g., outside Grays Harbor and along the shelf) from late spring through summer as they migrate inshore to feed after winter deepwater spawning, peaking roughly late April through June. Abundance drops through fall as fish move back to deeper offshore waters for winter spawning, so the coastal fishing grounds see the lowest densities in winter though the stock is never truly absent from the broader region.
Excellent in March.
Lingcod are resident year-round on Westport's nearshore reefs and offshore banks, so abundance never drops to zero. The strongest peak is spring (Mar–May) when males guard nests in shallow structure and fish concentrate before spawning disperses them, with a secondary late-summer bump as juveniles recruit and fish feed heavily on abundant baitfish; winter storms scatter and deepen fish, lowering catchable density even though the stock remains.
Peaks in August and September.
Albacore are a warm-water pelagic migrant off Westport, arriving only when warm offshore water (blue water, 58-64°F) pushes within range in mid-July, peaking August through mid-September when the warm water tongue is closest to shore. They are biologically absent from these coastal waters the rest of the year, migrating far offshore and south as water cools by October.
Excellent in July.
Rockfish are resident, structure-oriented, non-migratory bottom fish off Westport, so abundance stays near baseline year-round with no true biological absence. The gentle summer peak (June–August) reflects warmer, calmer water pulling fish shallower and more concentrated on nearshore reefs, while winter storms and cooler temps disperse them deeper for a modest low.
Excellent in November and December.
Dungeness crab are resident year-round in Westport's coastal and estuary waters, so there are no true zeros. Abundance dips in late spring/early summer (May–July) when many crabs molt and lose meat, then peaks in late summer through fall (weeks 28–35) as new-shell crabs harden and fatten before the ocean season slows over winter.
Peaks in April.
Redtail surfperch are present year-round in Westport surf zones, but abundance peaks in spring (March–May) when gravid females stage in the surf to give birth, drawing dense schools into the beaches. A secondary late-summer bump reflects post-spawn feeding aggregations, with winter presence remaining moderate as fish move slightly offshore during heavy swell.
Excellent in March, April, May, June and July.
Westport flatfish (English sole, starry flounder, sanddabs) move inshore onto sandy flats and estuary edges as water warms from late spring through summer, peaking May–September when they feed heavily on the flats. Abundance dips in winter as adults move to deeper offshore water to spawn, leaving nearshore numbers low January–March.
Peaks in February.
Pacific Herring peak in late winter (Jan–Apr) when mature schools stage and spawn in Westport-area estuarine and nearshore Grays Harbor waters over eelgrass and pilings. Abundance dips through summer as spent adults disperse offshore, then rebuilds in fall as young-of-year and pre-spawn schools return to feed and stage ahead of the next winter spawning run.
Peaks in June, July, August and September.
Opal (market) squid in Washington's coastal waters near Westport peak in late summer through early fall (roughly late July into October) when warmer nearshore water temperatures and daylight length trigger spawning aggregations that move inshore. Presence thins substantially in winter and early spring as squid disperse to deeper, cooler offshore water, though small numbers persist year-round rather than fully vanishing.
It depends on the species. Chinook Salmon peaks in June, July and August. Coho Salmon peaks in June, July, August and September. Halibut peaks in April, May, June and July. Lingcod is excellent in March. Albacore tuna peaks in August and September. Rockfish (Aggregate) is excellent in July.
On November 1, 2026, the forecast windows are Albacore tuna 4 PM to 7 PM, Herring 11 AM to 6 PM and Squid - Opal 11 AM to 6 PM. These are today's model windows, not a standing schedule.