UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
LingcodCheck regulationsSpecies here · tap to switch
Best score today · 7 PM · Lingcod
- Now
- 552 AM PDT
- Best window
- 5-9 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding8.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Gig Harbor scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 2 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS
80Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.4 kn floodWind & pressure
ECMWF
99Wind: 5 kt SSWPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC
25Water temp: 57°F, warmLight: NightSolunar: Between periodsSeason & habitat · Lingcod
Species seasonality
62Season: ShoulderHabitat: Usable structureDepth: In rangeRegulations: Check regulations
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island)
Lingcod
Check regulationsNo limits are on file for this species here. WDFW's web pages do not list Puget Sound lingcod seasons or size limits. Check the Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. Check with WDFW before you keep one.
From WDFW fishing regulations page, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Chinook salmon Catch & release (No retention)
- Chum salmon Catch & release (No retention)
- Coho salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Pacific halibut Closed (No retention)
- Pink salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
- Rockfish Closed (No retention)
- Sockeye salmon Retention open (2 salmon combined per day)
Source: WDFW · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Lingcod is best here
Shoulder season for Lingcod · 27 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Gig Harbor
- Depth
- 15-35 ftSlope
- Structure
- Bay · Inner · ProtectedBay · slope
- Season
- Shoulder seasonLingcod
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Gig Harbor
Gig Harbor is a bay in Puget Sound and Hood Canal, Washington. Depth is 15-35 ft, with a slope. Its profile reads bay, inner water and protected.
Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are kelp greenling, cabezon and Chinook salmon. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, cabezon, lingcod and surfperch. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Cabezon peak from May through August. Chinook salmon peak from July through September.
Tackle & technique
- Lingcod
- Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.
- Kelp greenling
- Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
- Cabezon
- Cabezon sit in rock crevices, kelp beds and jetty boulders from the intertidal zone to about 100 feet and feed mostly on crabs and small fish. Fish a fish-finder rig with sand shrimp, squid or crab right on the bottom in the rocks, or drag a lead-head grub slowly through the kelp. Expect snags, and do not eat the roe, which is toxic.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Point Defiance69
Cape · 2.1 mi
Top: Chinook salmonPeak season- Chinook salmon 69
- Coho salmon 66
- Kelp greenling 60
5 kt SSWH 2:57 AM · 9.2 ftL 9:23 AM · 1.1 ft
- The Narrows65
Bay · 3.7 mi
Top: Coho salmonPeak season- Coho salmon 65
- Chinook salmon 64
- Kelp greenling 51
5 kt SSWH 3:21 AM · 9.7 ftL 9:41 AM · 1.1 ft
- Dalco Passage64
Bay · 3.4 mi
Top: Chinook salmonPeak season- Chinook salmon 64
- Coho salmon 62
- Kelp greenling 56
5 kt SSWH 2:57 AM · 9.2 ftL 9:23 AM · 1.1 ft
- Henderson Bay62
Bay · 4.1 mi
Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season- Kelp greenling 62
- Chinook salmon 61
- Coho salmon 61
4 kt SSWH 3:15 AM · 10.2 ftL 9:58 AM · 1.1 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with WDFW before you keep a fish.