Chinook of the Hook
With a larger Chinook catch quota, Ediz Hook and other Port Angeles spots will be where to hit, and here’s how
Contributed by Mark Yuasa, WDFW
The northern Olympic Peninsula offers breathtaking beauty with its stunning landscape, pristine waters, and snow-capped mountain peaks, and adding to its appeal is the area’s premier summer salmon fishing opportunities.
It is here, specifically on the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca off Port Angeles (Marine Area 6), where you’ll find a treasure trove of salmon fisheries along this major intersection for migrating Chinook, coho, and pink salmon.
“Port Angeles is the salmon gateway, with lots of fish heading toward inner Puget Sound or northern waters in British Columbia and all points in between,” says John Beath, a local resident who has fished these waters for more than 30 years. “We’re going to have a pretty good summer king fishery in Marine Area 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) if the forecast matches up to what actually arrives to the area.”
Many anglers tend to zip right past Port Angeles — located on the northeastern side of Clallam County — on their way to more well-known destinations like Sekiu and Neah Bay, without realizing Port Angeles is one of the preeminent jumping-off points for salmon fishing during the summer.
The excitement kicks off around Port Angeles when the saltwater opens from July 1 through Aug. 15 for hatchery-marked Chinook and coho, as well as any pink salmon, west of a true north/south line through the №2 Buoy immediately east of Ediz Hook. The area east of that boundary is also open July 1 through Aug. 15, but only for pinks and hatchery-marked coho. All of Marine Area 6 is then open Aug. 16 through Sept. 30 for pinks and hatchery coho.
Adding to summer’s zing in Area 6 is a liberal Chinook catch quota of 7,258 fish, up from 6,050 in 2022 and 4,769 in 2021. The daily limit is two salmon, but only one king.
These waters typically have a longer summer hatchery Chinook quota-directed season than other areas of Puget Sound and the Strait.
But, keep in mind that just like other marine salmon fisheries driven by quotas, it is often best to go sooner than later. If you recall, Marine Area 6 closed to all salmon fishing on Aug. 2 in 2022, after the Chinook quota was achieved. It then reopened for a hatchery coho-only fishery in mid-August.
Chinook catches usually start off good when fishing opens on July 1 and tend to drop off after the initial week, only to ramp up again as waves and waves of migrating kings (as well as coho and, in odd years, pinks) pass through from July through August.
Since many of these Chinook have just moved in from the ocean, they’re usually actively feeding on baitfish such as herring and candlefish and they tend to be rather snappy when something is thrown in front of their face.
The first location to set up your troll or drift is west of the Ediz Hook №2 Buoy, then head due west along the massive sand spit/breakwater jetty to just past the old Port Angeles pulp mill.
Some prefer to troll closer to the jetty at depths of 40 to 95 feet, especially right before daybreak. Fish can also be found off the deeper edge of water from 100 to 150 feet. Like any other fishery, locating the bait is key to finding fish. Keep in mind that this area tends to get crowded, since it is just a short boat ride from the Ediz Hook boat ramp.
If you have a weak tide and the current isn’t running hard, don’t be afraid to move away from the crowds and work out in deeper water toward the yellow Port Angeles buoy at depths of 120 to 240 feet. Keep an eye on your fish finder and you’ll see fish not only near bottom but suspended at various mid-depth levels too.
A second option is Winter Hole, an exposed area out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where many will jig, although trolling is a viable fishing option at depths of 60 to 180 feet.
Try a variety of jigs from 2¼ to 4½ ounces during an outgoing tide. Baitfish schools stack up in the deeper water and then get pushed up the steep ledge, ending on top of the shallow areas along the west end in 60 feet of water.
When the tide is running hard, you’ll need to constantly back-troll to maintain a vertical angle on your mainline to the jig. Make sure your jig is constantly touching bottom and reel up a few cranks before dropping it right back down and up again. Many of the Chinook will be poking their noses in the sandy bottom seeking out candlefish and other baitfish prey.
If you drop your downrigger ball at Winter Hole, be sure to do a circle-type trolling pattern up and down the shallow spots. Keeping your presentation hugging the bottom is key and requires you to constantly pay attention to the depth, raising and lowering your gear and downrigger ball to avoid any major snags.
The third option near Port Angeles is an area referred to as the “Humps,” an underwater shelf starting at Buoy 4, where the first hump is located, and continuing in a northwesterly pattern to the second and third humps. Most will work this area on an outgoing tide.
Like Winter Hole, if you plan to drop the downrigger ball near the steep ledges of the three humps, currents can swing into the ledge and tangle your other lines, creating a wretched mess. Follow the contour of the bottom; sometimes you’ll even find kings lurking in water as shallow as 60 to 80 feet.
Among the westernmost places to roll out the red carpet for Area 6 summer kings is the open in areas outside of the Freshwater Bay closure zone, located off Highway 112 about 10 miles west of Port Angeles. There is only a primitive boat launch — not ideal during big low tides — here, so the best option for bigger boats is to run from Port Angeles. Note: The waters of Freshwater Bay south of a line from Angeles Point westerly approximately four miles to Observatory Point (Bachelor Rock) are closed to fishing for all species.
Usually, fishing here is off and on when it first opens on July 1 and tends to get better as the Chinook season progresses through July and up until it closes in mid-August. Good spots include the area from Crescent Bay west to the Low Point area on the boundary of Marine Areas 5 and 6. The scenic sights are spectacular, as the bluff above the bay is lined with western red cedar and fir trees nestled within a lush-green landscape.
Most salmon anglers will jig or downrigger troll around the kelp beds or out in deeper water at outside the closure zone at Freshwater Bay. The trick when downrigger trolling is to fish with the tide and, once you hit the end spot of the bay, pick up your gear, run back and start the process over again.
Like clockwork each summer, the Strait of Juan de Fuca becomes a haven of sorts for schools of pesky dogfish and most salmon anglers will opt for hardware such as lures or jigs. Popular choices are spoons or plastic hoochies (2- to 4-inch squid imitations). Be sure to add anise or herring scent to your bait, jig or lure.
You can mooch bait like a cut-plug or whole herring, but again, be aware that the hordes of dogfish roaming the area will likely wreak havoc on fishing leaders and hooks and drain your wallet of money from the dozens of frozen green-label herring you’ll need to buy.
But if you really, really want to mooch, I’d pick Winter Hole or Freshwater Bay. A single or double 2/0, 3/0 or 4/0 octopus-style barbless hook with a 15- to 25-pound fluorocarbon leader works best. Your crescent sinker weight will depend on current strength and tidal fluctuations. Bring a selection of sizes ranging from 2 to 6 ounces.
Work the cut-plug or whole herring from the surface to the bottom. When you hit bottom, reel a couple turns, pause, then reel up 20 feet and drop back to the bottom. Repeat the process and every few minutes reel all the way to the surface. Work the bottom as well as the entire water column.
While the Straits’ saltwater salmon fisheries garner most of the attention, the Dungeness River from the mouth to Gray Wolf River at Dungeness Forks Campground is open Oct. 16 through Nov. 30 for hatchery coho only. Dungeness Bay is also open Oct. 1–31 for hatchery coho only. For additional details and emergency rule changes, be sure to check the 2023–24 WDFW regulation pamphlet or WDFW website.
(Editor’s note: Mark Yuasa is a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife communications manager and longtime local fishing and outdoor writer.)
