Marine Area 11 Chinook Salmon Fishing

For those of us in the South-Central Puget Sound, the annual chinook salmon fishing season is one of the absolute best times to be on the water!

Usually, nice weather and some really big fish can make for a great time.

Some years haven’t allowed a season during June when there are some greater numbers of metabolically hotter chinook salmon around and feeding.

Typically, these chinook/kings are arriving closer to their spawning/staging times in late July to mid-August and beyond.

This means you will often mark on your sonar far more chinook than you will hook, but you never know when that bite will turn on.

Being on the water just before daylight is what the serious chinook anglers do in MA11.

Additionally, using larger profile terminal gear and moving slower can be key to getting a staging (as opposed to feeding) chinook salmon to bite.

Often this shows up as hoochies as well as jigging. Those who jig for these staging salmon often out-fish other methods!

Checkout our page dedicated to Puget Sound Salmon Fishing here for more details on fishing techniques, gear and general tips.

Table of Contents

Latest news / posts about Marine Area 11 Fishing

Updated Creel Report for Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon Chinook Salmon Fishing

As the salmon season gets going, the above chart will be automatically updated with the creel report numbers from the past month of fishing.

When to fish for Chinook Salmon in Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

This graph tells a fairly accurate story of Marine Area 11 Chinook salmon fishing.

That first week in June is often decent, followed by a lull and slowly building from late July into mid-August and peaking around about the 3rd week.

That early season in June involves fish from all over actively feeding and pushing into the South Sound.

Some will stay, but many will continue their migration. Even Columbia River chinook coded-wire-tags have been recovered there.

Tides / Marine Forecast for Tacoma / Commencement Bay

Marine Forecast for Puget Sound and Hood Canal as of 1 days and 2 hours ago

Forecast published on 12/20/2024 02:09:00 Synopsis: SYNOPSIS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COASTAL AND INLAND WATERS...Another frontal system will bring breezy conditions across the waters today. An active pattern will continue through the weekend as a series of system crosses the waters for additional rounds of breezy winds and elevated seas.

You should always check the forecast on the NWS Marine Forecast Page, the text below is added for your convenience:

Question about how to read a marine forecast to stay safe? Check out our comprehensive guide on Marine Weather Safety here

Yesterday's last tide

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
19:56	8.71 ft	H	NA	NA

Nighttime Marine Forecast: SE wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to NE after midnight. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain likely after midnight.

12/21/2024 Sat

Daytime Marine Forecast: S wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain.

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
02:25	0.92 ft	L	-7.79	-1.20
09:53	12.20 ft	H	11.28	1.51
16:31	5.48 ft	L	-6.72	-1.01
21:08	8.02 ft	H	2.54	0.55

Nighttime Marine Forecast: S wind 5 to 10 kt. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain likely, mainly in the evening.

12/22/2024 Sun

Daytime Marine Forecast: SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain.

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
03:11	2.45 ft	L	-5.57	-0.92
10:29	11.96 ft	H	9.51	1.30
17:27	4.48 ft	L	-7.48	-1.07
22:35	7.62 ft	H	3.14	0.61

Nighttime Marine Forecast: S wind 10 to 15 kt. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain.

12/23/2024 Mon

Daytime Marine Forecast: S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to E in the afternoon. Waves around 2 ft or less. A chance of rain in the morning, then rain in the afternoon.

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
04:02	4.08 ft	L	-3.54	-0.65
11:04	11.74 ft	H	7.66	1.09
18:16	3.38 ft	L	-8.36	-1.16

Nighttime Marine Forecast: SE wind 10 to 15 kt, veering to S after midnight. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain.

12/24/2024 Tue

Daytime Marine Forecast: S wind 10 to 15 kt. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain.

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
00:16	7.81 ft	H	4.43	0.74
05:01	5.67 ft	L	-2.14	-0.45
11:39	11.52 ft	H	5.85	0.88
18:59	2.27 ft	L	-9.25	-1.26

12/25/2024 Wed

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
01:54	8.61 ft	H	6.34	0.92
06:14	7.04 ft	L	-1.57	-0.36
12:14	11.30 ft	H	4.26	0.71
19:36	1.22 ft	L	-10.08	-1.37

Nighttime Marine Forecast: S wind 10 to 15 kt. Waves around 2 ft or less. Rain likely.

12/26/2024 Thu

Tide Time (24H)	Predicted (ft)	High-Low	Tide Delta	Avg ft / hour
03:09	9.69 ft	H	8.47	1.12

Looking for more tides? Checkout the NOAA Tide Prediction page for Tacoma, Commencement Bay here

Permanent Regulations for Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

Please refer to the permanent regulations for Marine Area 11 as maintained by WDFW here.

Need more help understanding saltwater salmon regulations? Consult our guide to understanding saltwater salmon regulations in Washington here.

Emergency Regulations for Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

Please refer to WDFW’s emergency rules page.

Where to fish for Chinook Salmon in Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

This may seem like a lot of fishing spots, but there are many more! Think classic king depths of 90 to 120 ft up against steep slopes

Clay Banks

Fish from SE to NW on the ebb tide especially. Near the NW tip, you will lots of people jigging vertically for kings either on the bottom or suspended.

In front of Tacoma Yacht Club

Especially good on the flood and as the run really builds into the late July / August time period.

Gig Harbor

Many of these chinook salmon are headed for the deep south sound hatchery on the Nisqually and near Olympia will cruise this path and can be intercepted here.

Point Dalco

Consider fishing this on the flood, also, north of Point Dalco at the Girl Scout Camp.

Redondo

Good location for targeting king salmon headed for the Puyallup or other south sound hatcheries.

Dolphin Point

Dolphin Point can be a great place to fish early on in the main run of chinook as they will here often times before other parts of Marine Area 11.

Browns Point / Dash Point

Browns point to dash point in Marine Area 11

Another popular place to intercept chinook.

Quartermaster Harbor

A less popular, but potentially great location to target Puget Sound Chinook, especially during the flood.

How to fish for Chinook Salmon in Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

Take a look at our parent page Puget Sound Salmon Fishing and key in on fishing with hoochies and jigging as the best techniques here.

Chinook Salmon Forecasts for Marine Area 11 – Tacoma / Vashon

You will want to key in on the Puyallup and White River, but also the Nisqually as the biggest drivers of chinook abundance in Marine Area 11.

Nisqually or other deep south sound hatchery bound chinook will traverse all parts of Marine Area 11, but especially the Gig Harbor flats should be productive, and places like Point Evans just north of the Narrows Bridge.

Full time PNW fisherman, hunter and harvester of local foods.

Kyle

Sharing content and insights on sustainable harvest through fishing, hunting, foraging, and shellfish gathering. I have 20+ years of experience building technology solutions and my goal is to build digital solutions to help you, on your learning journey toward more successful harvest recreation. I’ve lived in the PNW most of my life and I have 30+ years of angling experience to share.