The Puyallup River opens to recreational anglers on August 16th (or is it the 17th!?!) and this year is expected to be a monster run of chinook salmon!
For those of you looking to target pink salmon in the Puyallup again this year, you will be disappointed that they only return every other year. However, what’s not going to disappoint is the return of chinook and coho salmon to the Puyallup in the year 2022.
I’ve got several new cool features to share in this Puyallup River salmon fishing primer blog post and lots of other goodies. So buckle in, sit back and get ready to dream of epic summer days standing in cold chocolate milk colored water with a bent rod and a big ol’ chinook on the end of your line!
QUICK NOTE: The opening date issue is quite aggravating as the regulations say the Puyallup opens on Aug 16h (a Tuesday), but also that it’s closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday….I would only be showing up to fish the 17th personally, but it’s confusing.
Why are the regulations so different this year on the Puyallup and Carbon River?
The regulations are listed lower on this page, but specifically the entire river system is closed on Sun-Tue, when typically it would just be the lower portion below the confluence of the White River due to tribal gear conflicts.
I reached out to WDFW recently asking why:
Where can I fish for salmon on the Puyallup River in 2022?
Let’s break down the annual regulations and show the corresponding map to indicate where on the Puyallup River the regulations apply.
First a note about how you should think about these regulations as presented on my blog: WDFW publishes regulations annually with the co-managers (tribes) to determine what the available fisheries are. WDFW can also publish “emergency rules” which may result in a retention limit change or closure of a fishery.
Automatically updated Emergency Regulations for the Puyallup River:
Please refer to WDFW’s emergency rules page for a full list that are in effect until I can get the automation working fully again.
It’s your responsibility as the recreational angler to know ALL of these rules, not just what is discussed here on the blog.
| PUYALLUP RIVER – PIERCE CO. | ||
| from the 11th St. Bridge to 400’ downstream of Clark’s CRC (804) | ||
| All species | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Night closure. Barbless hooks required. Anti-snagging rule. CLOSED Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. |
| Trout | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. |
| Other game fish | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. |
| Salmon | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook. |
| from 400’ downstream to 400’ upstream of Clark’s Creek | ||
| All species | CLOSED WATERS. | |
| from 400’ upstream of Clark’s Creek to East Main Bridge CRC (804) | ||
| All species | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Anti-snagging rule. Night closure. Barbless hooks required. CLOSED Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. |
| Trout | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. |
| Other game fish | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. |
| Salmon | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook. |
| from East Main Bridge to Carbon River CRC (804) | ||
| All species | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Anti-snagging rule. Barbless hooks required. Night closure. |
| Trout | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. |
| Other game fish | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. |
| Salmon | Aug. 16-Sept. 30 | Min. size 12”. Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook. |
| from Carbon River upstream CRC (804) | ||
| All species | Selective gear rules. | |
| Trout | Sat. before Memorial Day-Jan. 15 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. Except: Release cutthroat trout and wild rainbow trout. |
| Other game fish | Sat. before Memorial Day-Jan. 15 | Statewide min. size/daily limit. |
The important thing to note as it relates to salmon fishing the Puyallup River is that the season opens on August 16th (A Tuesday)…or does it? Since the regulations also say that the river is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday from Aug 16 – Sep 30.
WDFW may clear this up as we get closer to the opening of the season on the Puyallup River.
This is a bit of a reduction in opportunity from 2021 given that the Puyallup River was only closed on Sunday Aug 16-31 last year.
For all areas which open on the Aug 16th, the salmon fishing regulations basically don’t differ.
The season lasts until Sep 30th and the daily limit is 6 with a min size of 12″. Only 2 adults may be retained . All chum and all wild Chinook (determined via an intact adipose fin) must be released. That means you can keep hatchery Chinook and any coho.
Here are some maps that show you where the regulations apply on a map.
The stretch from the 11th Street Bridge to East Main usually experiences the most angling pressure and it’s also where salmon of all species are the freshest and provide the best quality table fare.
Additionally, many of the returning salmon on the Puyallup are headed to the White River. As soon as you go upstream of the East Main Bridge, you lose those white river fish.
Here you can see, in the above map a more clear view of the white river coming into the Puyallup from the NE.
The stretch from East Main to the mouth of the Carbon River can also provide great fishing, albeit with less salmon and slightly less angling pressure
I would love to update this post and draw maps to all the popular spots to make it easy for folks, but it’s also pretty easy to just drive the roads on either side of the river and discover where everyone else is parking.
There really are no (almost no?) secrets here.
When to fish for salmon on the Puyallup River?
Let’s take a look at a couple of new features I’ve got up on the blog now to help you in this aspect of trip planning:
- Automatically updating graph of the Escapement Report for the Puyallup River
- Historical run timing graph providing a visual of when salmon normally return to the Puyallup River
We will evaluate these separately for Coho and Chinook.
When to fish for Fall Chinook on the Puyallup River?
The above graph shows you the fall chinook return timing by escapement year. As you can see typically get a peak return in late September, but fish are in the river starting in August.
As Fall Chinook return to the Puyallup the above graph should accurately reflect this within 24 hours of the reports being posted by WDFW.
When to fish for Coho on the Puyallup River?
The above graph shows you the coho return timing by escapement year. As you can see we typically get a big surge in mid to late October (usually timed with high water)
As Coho Salmon return to the Puyallup the above graph should accurately reflect this within 24 hours of the reports being posted by WDFW.
Forecast for 2022 Puyallup River Salmon
Take a look at the green status of both the Puyallup and the White River, as they are expected to see a return > 125% compared to the 10 year average. Not only that, but this year, the actual runs seems to be blowing away the estimates, so I would bet it will be closer to 200%!
How do I get started fishing the Puyallup River for salmon?
Believe me I get it. Just getting started fishing for salmon in the river can be pretty intimidating. You may have tried in the past and not had success, you may have grown up fishing, but never in the rivers for salmon.
Don’t worry, literally my entire website is here to help new people get started successfully in a variety of PNW outdoor harvest opportunities, but certainly salmon fishing in the rivers is well within the wheel house.
Don’t find what you’re looking for? Drop me an email at kyle@pnwbestlife.com and I will attempt to answer your question directly.
So let’s look at a few articles starting with a few guides to gear that may help you.
My guide to the best fishing rod for salmon will give you an idea how to get started AND why you should buy a given salmon fishing rod.
My guide to the best fishing reel for salmon goes with the fishing rod guide to help you complete your setup.
Next, let’s take a deeper look at river fishing for salmon in general. River fishing for salmon is one of the most complete references to salmon fishing the rivers you will find on the interweb (aol?)
You will want to look at this video for insight to catching chinook on eggs in super low visibility rivers like the Puyallup
Frequently asked questions about the Puyallup River
Why is the Puyallup River the color of a chocolate milkshake during the summer?
The primary source of summer time water in the Puyallup comes from melting glaciers on the slopes of Mount Rainier. While many rivers are sourced by freshwater springers, mountain lakes or some combination, the Puyallup is almost entirely coming from that glacier melt water during the summer in particular.
Melted glacier water includes extremely fine particulates called silt or glacial till. The water is not “dirty” as some would believe; it’s also going to be quite cold and thus dangerous if appropriate precautions are not taken.
Here’s an example of how this impacts your visit to the Puyallup River:
If you are new to rivers, you may not know how to read the surrounding landscape and what it says about the depth of the water. Most people are used “seeing the bottom” to determine the depth.
Well how do you do that if you can only see through about 1″ of water in the Puyallup? You had better have a plan if you are stopping off the side of the road and hopping into the river. The spot you could be stepping into could be 6″ or 6′ and mean the difference between a nice day of fishing vs life threatening situation.
Here’s a few ideas:
- Hold on to something as you take that first step into the water
- Grab a nearby stick and use it to find bottom
- If the current is slow it’s more likely to be shallow (but not always!), if it’s fast and you cannot see bottom, don’t do it.
- Look at the surrounding land, does it gently slope into the water or is the drop more vertical?
- My favorite: watch someone go in first 🙂
Know that the low visibility will also drastically impact fishing. To get a river salmon to bite in 1″ of visibility you need scent, slow moving bait and to put it right at eye level.
What’s the best way to fish the Puyallup River?
You are going to want to use the drift fishing method because of what I wrote about the 1″ visibility. Drift fishing for salmon is covered in way more detail in the link here.
You might also try float fishing for salmon, but need slow enough current and need to get down to right in front of their face.
Why does everyone line up in the river and fish so close together?
The part of the river with the most fish per CFS of water are going to be the choke points. The choke points typically occur in the deep sections off of gravel bars. Gravel bars are also super easy to wade on due to their gradual slopes and wide bank areas.
These spots will attract the most bank anglers. Classic bars on the lower part of the river like the “Soccer fields” will be the busiest places on the whole river to fish. If you are looking for a little bit of privacy, you will need to find a place not so ideal to fish.
It all depends on what you are hoping to get out of the fishing experience.
Why do people use such long drift leaders on a river with like 1″ of visibility?
People like it when the fish bite, but they also hate it when the guy or gal next to them is hooking a fish every cast and they aren’t. The answer? Longer leaders such that if the fish doesn’t bite, there’s at least a better chance for the line to run through the mouth of an upstream traveling salmon. A technique called flossing, you can read a ton about here.
Wrapping up
If you think of another question I haven’t covered here, feel free to drop a comment below. I answer all comments, but they may not appear instantly as I have to approve your first comment due to spam protection reasons.
I will update this article from time to time as I fish the river or get wind of relevant reports / things changing.
