About Willapa Bay Approach Buoy 'W'

Willapa Bay Approach Buoy 'W' marks an outer-exposed sand corridor off Westport, Washington, where water depths run from 30 to 90 feet. This open bottom draws Chinook and Coho Salmon through their shared peak from June to September. Trolling dominates here, with whole herring, anchovies, cut-plug herring, trolling spoons, hoochies, and flashers worked across the corridor. Mooching whole or cut-plug herring covers the same water at a slower pace, while metal jigs give anglers a vertical option over the sand. The exposed approach and steady depth range let fish move freely along the buoy line throughout the summer season.