Inshore — Bays, Rivers & Surf

Nearshore — Reefs & Beaches (3–20 mi)

Offshore — Deep Reefs & Albacore (20+ mi)

Inshore

• 
  Chinook Salmon (fall river) — Peaks August through October on the fall river run — drift cured roe, back-bounce or back-troll plugs and spinners through holding water.GearSalmon drift roe rigsKwikfish-style plugsSpinner blade lures

  How to ID

  • Black gum line at the base of the teeth AND a black mouth/tongue (all-dark mouth)
  • Black spots on BOTH lobes of the tail
  • Darkening body, often coppery/olive-maroon spawning color
  • Heavy, deep body; typically the largest Pacific salmon
  • 15-19 anal fin rays (more than Coho)

  Tell it apart: A black gum line at the base of the teeth plus spots on BOTH tail lobes confirms Chinook, versus Coho's white/gray gum line at the tooth base and spots on the upper tail lobe only.

  Easily confused with: Coho Salmon (ocean/bay), Chinook Salmon (ocean), Coho Salmon (ocean)

• 
  Coho Salmon (ocean/bay) — Best August and September as fish stage in bays — troll spinners and small herring near the surface, or cast spinners to schools rolling on the tide.GearSalmon trolling spinnersHerring bait rigsCasting spoons

  How to ID

  • White/gray gum line at the base of the teeth (mouth/tongue still dark)
  • Black spots on the upper tail lobe only
  • Bright silver sides, blue-green back
  • 12-15 anal fin rays (fewer than Chinook)
  • Spawners turn brick-red on the sides with a darker head

  Tell it apart: A white/gray gum line at the base of the teeth and spots only on the upper tail lobe separate Coho from the black gum line and fully-spotted tail of Chinook.

  Easily confused with: Chinook Salmon (fall river), Chinook Salmon (ocean), Coho Salmon (ocean)

• 
  White Sturgeon — Best late fall into winter, November through January — anchor and soak smelt, sand shrimp, or roe on a heavy sliding bottom rig in deep holes.GearSturgeon sliding rigBarbless circle hooksHeavy sturgeon rod

  How to ID

  • 5 rows of bony scutes (plates) along the body
  • Shark-like, sharply forked heterocercal tail
  • 4 barbels set closer to the MOUTH than to the snout tip
  • Toothless protrusible suckermouth under the snout
  • Gray to olive; naked skin (no scales) between scutes

  Tell it apart: Barbels positioned closer to the mouth than to the snout tip, plus a gray body, distinguish White Sturgeon from the protected Green Sturgeon, whose barbels sit closer to the snout tip and whose body is olive-green with a dark midline stripe. Mistaking them risks taking a no-retention fish.

• 
  Shad — A brief spring run, May and June only — drift tiny weighted darts and shad spoons through current seams below river riffles and dams.GearShad dartsSmall shad spoonsLight spinning combo

  How to ID

  • Bright silver, deep slab-sided, laterally compressed body
  • Single dark shoulder spot behind the gill, often followed by a row of fainter spots
  • Sharp saw-toothed scutes forming a sawtooth keel along the belly
  • Deeply forked tail, no adipose fin
  • Lower jaw fits into a notch in the upper jaw

  Tell it apart: The serrated 'cutting-edge' scutes along the belly keel plus the dark shoulder spot ID an American Shad among silvery PNW fish.

• 
  Redtail Surfperch — Best late winter into spring spawn, February through May — fish sand shrimp or clam strips on a two-hook surf rig in the sandy breaker troughs.GearTwo-hook surf rigPyramid sinkersSurf spinning combo

  How to ID

  • Deep, compressed silvery oval body
  • Reddish to pink-orange vertical bars on the sides
  • Distinctly red/orange tail and ventral fins
  • Spiny portion of the dorsal taller than the soft-rayed portion, deepest at the front
  • Small mouth, no barbels; gives birth to live young

  Tell it apart: A reddish tail combined with the spiny front dorsal being clearly taller than the soft-rayed rear separates Redtail Surfperch from other surfperch.

• 
  Dungeness Crab* — Best fall and winter, September through January, plus an early-year window — drop baited crab pots and rings on sandy bottom near bay mouths.GearFolding crab potsCrab ringsBait cages + buoys

  How to ID

  • Wide fan-shaped purple-brown carapace, cream/orange underside
  • 10 spines (teeth) along the front edge on each side of the eyes; carapace widest at the last (10th) spine
  • Serrated, sawtooth edges on the pincers
  • White-tipped claws
  • Carapace noticeably wider than long

  Tell it apart: Count the marginal carapace teeth: Dungeness is widest at the 10th (last) tooth behind the eye, whereas rock crabs are widest earlier and have black-tipped claws.

Nearshore

• 
  Chinook Salmon (ocean) — Best June through August — troll a whole or plug-cut herring behind a flasher off the downrigger, working the bait close to bottom.GearTrolling flashersHerring teaser rigsDownrigger trolling combo

  How to ID

  • Black gum line at the base of the teeth AND a dark mouth/tongue (all-dark mouth)
  • Black spots on the back and on BOTH tail lobes
  • Bright silver, blue-green back, large heavy body
  • 15-19 anal fin rays (more than Coho)
  • Numerous small black spots over the back

  Tell it apart: Open the mouth: a black gum line at the tooth base plus spots on BOTH tail lobes is Chinook, versus Coho's white/gray gum line and upper-lobe-only tail spots.

  Easily confused with: Coho Salmon (ocean), Chinook Salmon (fall river), Coho Salmon (ocean/bay)

• 
  Coho Salmon (ocean) — Best July and August — troll fast with green hoochies or herring behind a flasher near the surface, where aggressive coho slash at the bait.GearSalmon hoochie squidsTrolling flashersHerring bait rigs

  How to ID

  • White/gray gum line at the base of the teeth (mouth/tongue still dark)
  • Black spots on the back and on the UPPER tail lobe only
  • Bright chrome silver, metallic blue back
  • 12-15 anal fin rays (fewer than Chinook)
  • Slimmer-bodied than a same-length Chinook

  Tell it apart: A white/gray gum line at the base of the teeth and spots confined to the upper tail lobe distinguish ocean Coho from the black-gummed, fully-spotted-tail Chinook.

  Easily confused with: Chinook Salmon (ocean), Coho Salmon (ocean/bay), Chinook Salmon (fall river)

• 
  Pacific Halibut — A short, regulated season peaking May through July — drop large herring or scampi-skirted jigs and bounce them slowly along deep gravel.GearHeavy halibut jigsSpreader bar rigsCircle hooks

  How to ID

  • Both eyes on the right (dark, upper) side; flatfish
  • Diamond/elongate body, eyes on the darker brown side
  • Lateral line strongly arched over the pectoral fin
  • Forked or crescent (lunate) tail
  • Large mouth reaching to about the front of the lower eye

  Tell it apart: A high arch in the lateral line over the pectoral fin plus a forked/lunate tail separate Pacific Halibut from other right-eyed flatfish, which have straighter lateral lines and rounded tails.

• 
  Lingcod — Best late winter and again in summer, February through March and June through August — drop heavy swimbaits and pipe jigs onto rock pinnacles.GearHeavy lingcod swimbaitsPipe jigsHeavy jigging combo

  How to ID

  • Long body, huge mouth with 18+ large sharp canine-like teeth
  • Single long dorsal fin notched between the spiny and soft portions
  • Mottled brown/gray/copper; flesh sometimes blue-green
  • A single cirrus (small flap) above each eye
  • Broad, slightly rounded tail

  Tell it apart: Lingcod has prominent large canine teeth and a single long notched dorsal fin, whereas the similarly-mottled Cabezon has a toothless crushing mouth and a broad fleshy cirrus on the snout.

  Easily confused with: Cabezon

• 
  Black Rockfish — Available year-round, best June through September — cast leadhead swimbaits and shrimp flies over shallow reef and kelp, working midwater schools.GearLeadhead swimbaitsShrimp fly rigsMedium jigging rod

  How to ID

  • Gray-black to bluish, with a lighter mottled belly
  • Black spotting/blotches on the membrane of the spiny dorsal fin
  • Rounded snout, jaws roughly even (slight or no underbite)
  • Weak, smooth head spines
  • Anal fin with a rounded/slanted rear margin; not bright red

  Tell it apart: Black blotches on the spiny dorsal-fin membrane plus a rounded/slanted anal-fin margin ID Black Rockfish, versus Widow's clear fin membranes and straighter anal-fin margin.

  Easily confused with: Widow / Shortbelly Rock

• 
  Cabezon — Available year-round, best in the cold months around January and December — drop crab, shrimp, or squid baits tight to rocky structure.GearRock-fishing dropper rigOctopus bait hooksSoft-plastic swimbaits

  How to ID

  • Broad, flattened, scaleless body with a large head
  • A prominent fleshy cirrus on the snout and one above each eye
  • Wide toothless mouth (smooth crushing jaws)
  • Mottled brown, green, or reddish (varies by sex/habitat)
  • Single long dorsal with a deep notch; large fan-shaped pectorals

  Tell it apart: A toothless crushing mouth plus a prominent fleshy flap on the snout marks Cabezon, separating it from the large-toothed Lingcod it shares mottled reefs with.

  Easily confused with: Lingcod

Offshore

• 
  Albacore Tuna — A short warm-water run, August and September when the blue water moves in — troll feathers and cedar plugs, then bait-fish the stopped school.GearTuna feather jigsCedar plug luresLive-bait hooks

  How to ID

  • Extremely long pectoral fins reaching past the front of the anal fin
  • Metallic dark blue back, white belly, no stripes or spots
  • A row of small finlets before the tail on top and bottom
  • Stout torpedo body, crescent tail, keel on the tail base
  • White trailing edge on the tail fin

  Tell it apart: Pectoral fins reaching well past the start of the anal fin (longer than any other tuna's) positively ID Albacore.

• 
  Yelloweye Rockfish — Available May through October but tightly regulated — when legal, drop bait rigs onto deep rock; otherwise release fish with a descending device.GearDeep-drop bait rigsDescending release deviceHeavy bottom combo

  How to ID

  • Bright orange-red to orange-yellow body
  • Vivid yellow/orange eye (iris)
  • Rough, raspy ridges over the eyes; strong head spines
  • Juveniles show 2 light/white horizontal stripes that fade with age
  • Blackish edges on some fins

  Tell it apart: The bright yellow eye plus rough raspy ridges above the eye separate the protected Yelloweye from the dark-eyed, smoother-browed Canary and Vermilion rockfish, which Yelloweye is easily mistaken for.

  Easily confused with: Canary / Vermilion Rock

• 
  Canary / Vermilion Rock — Best summer into fall, June through September — drop multi-hook shrimp fly rigs onto deeper offshore reef and shelf structure with heavy weight.GearShrimp fly rigsHeavy bank sinkersDeep-water bait rig

  How to ID

  • Bright orange to red body; Canary is gray-mottled, Vermilion is more uniformly red
  • Canary: 3 orange bars radiating across the head; lateral line runs in a clear gray zone
  • Vermilion: black-edged fins, gray mottling on the back, rough scales
  • Canary: fins all orange, anal fin slanting rearward
  • Both have normal dark eyes (NOT the bright yellow of Yelloweye)

  Tell it apart: Run a finger along the lateral line: Canary shows a clear light-gray stripe right at the lateral line with 3 orange head bars, while Vermilion is more uniformly red with black fin edges; neither has Yelloweye's yellow eye or raspy eye ridges.

  Easily confused with: Yelloweye Rockfish

• 
  Sablefish (Black Cod) — Available year-round on the deep slope — deep-drop a squid-baited gangion rig to 1000-plus feet, usually on an electric reel for the depth.GearDeep-drop gangion rigHeavy deep-drop weightsElectric deep-drop combo

  How to ID

  • Slate-black to greenish-gray, with a lighter belly
  • Slender elongate body, slightly forked tail
  • TWO well-separated dorsal fins
  • Small mouth, no large canine teeth
  • Soft skin; faint stripes on the back when fresh

  Tell it apart: Two clearly separated dorsal fins on a slim black body distinguish Sablefish from rockfish (single dorsal) and the toothy Lingcod.

• 
  Widow / Shortbelly Rock — Best June through August when schools stack up — jig small shrimp flies and metal jigs through midwater over deeper offshore reef.GearShrimp fly rigsDiamond jigsMedium jigging combo

  How to ID

  • Brassy to dusky brown-gray, sometimes a light bluish sheen
  • Clean/clear fin membranes (no black blotches on the spiny dorsal)
  • Large eye; small mouth, jaws roughly even (no strong underbite)
  • Weak head spines, smooth-feeling head
  • Anal fin with a straight/vertical rear edge

  Tell it apart: Clear, unspotted dorsal-fin membranes and a straight-edged anal fin separate Widow Rockfish from the very similar Black Rockfish, which has black blotches on the spiny dorsal.

  Easily confused with: Black Rockfish