About Grays Harbor Dumping Grounds

The Grays Harbor Dumping Grounds is an outer-exposed sand flat off Westport, Washington, lying in 120 to 180 feet of water. The flat holds Pacific Halibut from March through July, while Chinook and Coho Salmon move through the area from June into September. Halibut anglers work this bottom with drift fishing, presenting herring, squid, salmon bellies, or octopus across the sand, with jigging using metal jigs, leadhead jigs, or swimbaits as a supporting approach. For both Chinook and Coho, trolling dominates over the open flat, running whole or cut-plug herring, spoons, hoochies, and flashers, while mooching cut-plug herring covers the same depths at a slower pace. The uniform sand and exposed position mean fish spread across the flat rather than stacking on structure, so covering water at the 120-to-180-foot band is the productive approach here.