Species guide · Washington
Pink salmon fishing in Washington
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, a sea-run species also called humpy, humpies and humpback salmon. Listed for the Pacific Northwest region. Puget Sound pinks return in odd years only.
Season by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Pacific Northwest
Shoulder season, changing this week- Jan: Not present
- Feb: Not present
- Mar: Not present
- Apr: Not present
- May: Not present
- Jun: Not present
- Jul: Shoulder season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Not present
- Nov: Not present
- Dec: Not present
Peak: Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): Jul to Sep.
Research notes, Pacific Northwest region
Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca pinks return in odd-numbered years only (2025, 2027), peaking mid-August. Values are for odd years. In even years, treat every month as 0.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 0
Not scored in this forecast: Admiralty Inlet, Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm, East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Grays Harbor Bar, Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands, Puget Sound and Hood Canal and West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 46°F to 62°F, best between 50°F and 57°F.
- Water depth
- 5 to 400 ft of water.
- Structure
- Beach, point, estuary, bay, open water and inlet, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and high tide, with light current.Pinks travel in large schools along shorelines toward their home streams, and WDFW notes they are not tied to tide rips the way coho are. Beach anglers near stream mouths usually see schools move in close on the flood and at high water. Tide guidance here leans on guide consensus rather than agency data.
- Light
- Bites best around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 18 kt of wind and 4 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Pinks travel in large schools along shorelines toward their home streams in late summer and often come within casting range of beaches and points near river mouths. Cast small pink spoons, spinners or flies, or troll a pink hoochie or spoon slowly behind a small flasher at 40 to 80 feet in open water. Puget Sound pinks run in odd-numbered years only.
- Methods
- casting from beaches, trolling slowly, fly fishing
- Lures
- small pink spoons, pink hoochie behind a small flasher, pink and white spinners, pink casting jigs, pink shrimp or clouser flies, bucktails
- Bait
- herring strip
Regulations
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with WDFW Sep 20, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.
No retention
Season: Sep 9 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on Oct 1, 2026
Closed to salmon fishing. Possession of salmon on board a vessel is prohibited.
WDFW emergency rule: Marine Area 1 salmon season update (Sept. 1, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day · No minimum size.
Season: Aug 22 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on Oct 1, 2026
Possession of Chinook on board a vessel is prohibited.
WDFW emergency rule: Marine Area 2 salmon season update (Aug. 17, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026
6 salmon combined per day · Minimum 12 in. Minimum length for pink salmon. See the WDFW pamphlet for how to measure.
Season: Aug 1, 2026 to Jan 31, 2027
Changes to check regulations on Feb 1, 2027
Two-pole endorsement allowed. Some waters in the bay have separate closures. Check the pamphlet. Up to 2 may be adult salmon. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-070, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
Season: Sep 16 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on Feb 1, 2027
West of the Buoy 13 line: Marine Area 2 rules through Sept. 30, daily limit 2, release Chinook and wild coho. East Grays Harbor: daily limit 2, release Chinook. Westport and Ocean Shores boat basins: daily limit 6 with up to 4 adults, release Chinook. Humptulips North Bay is closed. Minimum size 12 inches inside the harbor. Rules as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries, which match WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-070). Waters west of the Buoy 13 line follow Marine Area 2 rules.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day · No minimum size.
Season: Aug 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on Oct 1, 2026
WDFW manages this season to a Chinook guideline and a hatchery coho quota and can close it early by emergency rule.
WDFW emergency rule: Marine Area 3 salmon seasons (June 10, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026
No retention
Season: Aug 24 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on Oct 1, 2026
Closed to salmon fishing. Possession of salmon on board a vessel is prohibited, except that from Aug. 26 salmon legally caught in Canada or Marine Areas 5 to 13 may be carried through Marine Area 4 and landed in Neah Bay.
WDFW emergency rule: Marine Area 4 salmon season closes Aug. 24 (Aug. 21, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Aug 16 to Sep 24, 2026
Changes to closed on Oct 16, 2026
Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Aug 16 to Sep 24, 2026
Changes to closed on Oct 16, 2026
Dungeness Bay is closed to salmon through Sept. 30. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Sep 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to closed on Oct 1, 2026
Bellingham Bay has a separate daily limit through Sept. 30. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Aug 1 to Oct 11, 2026
Changes to closed on Oct 12, 2026
Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Aug 1 to Sep 25, 2026
Changes to closed on Sep 26, 2026
The Tulalip Terminal Area has separate rules. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Sep 19 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to closed on Oct 1, 2026
Edmonds Fishing Pier has separate rules. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Sep 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to closed on Nov 16, 2026
Hatchery Chinook may be kept only in Sinclair Inlet (south of the Manette Bridge, south of a line true west from Battle Point, and west of a line true south from Point White), where the daily limit is 3, Chinook minimum 22 inches, release wild Chinook and chum. Elsewhere release all Chinook. Year-round piers (Seacrest, Pier 86, Waterman, Bremerton Boardwalk and Illahee State Park) have separate rules. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day · No minimum size.
Season: Aug 15 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to closed on Nov 16, 2026
Year-round piers (Des Moines, Les Davis, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock and Redondo) have separate rules. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13.
WDFW emergency rule: Marine Area 11 salmon fishery update (Aug. 12, 2026) · verified Sep 13, 2026
4 salmon combined per day
Season: Aug 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to closed on Dec 1, 2026
South of Ayock Point: hatchery Chinook may be kept (Chinook minimum 20 inches), release wild Chinook, chum and sockeye. North of Ayock Point: release all Chinook, chum and sockeye. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026
2 salmon combined per day
Season: Jul 1 to Sep 30, 2026
Changes to check regulations on May 1, 2027
Two-pole endorsement allowed. The Minter Creek mouth is closed and lower Budd Inlet has a closure zone through Oct. 31. Some bays, piers and creek mouths have separate rules or closures. Check the pamphlet. Barbless hooks required in Marine Areas 5 through 13. Season and limits as listed in WDFW's 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries. WDFW's adopted rule (WAC 220-313-060, WSR 26-13-052) sets the same rules for these dates.
WDFW 2026-27 List of Agreed Fisheries (final) · verified Sep 13, 2026