Fishing M

With over 30 lowland lakes annually stocked with fish and hundreds of miles of saltwater shoreline, Mason County has opportunities for anglers all year long. Visit wddfw.wa.gov for up to date license information, regional maps, fishing tips, identification and limits.

Year Round Opportunities:

Spring (March-May)

Dozens of lakes are open for fishing year-round but in the spring many are stocked with hatchery trout, improving chances of catching fish. Trout generally bite well until mid-summer, but tend to lose interest when the water temperature rises.

Fishing for resident blackmouth salmon winds down in April. Wild steelhead run through mid-April on several Olympic Peninsula rivers.

Summer (June-August)

By late July, as more salmon move in from the coast, fishing heats up in the Puget Sound and Hood Canal. The chinook season gets busy on the Skokomish River.

Fall (September-November)

September is a prime time for coho and chum salmon fishing. Coho can be found in Hood Canal and South Puget Sound. Fishing for chinook salmon tapers off in October, but coho fishing is still good in the Skokomish and other Puget Sound rivers. By November, the main catch in Puget Sound is blackmouth salmon, which remain in nearshore waters throughout the year.

Winter (December -February)

Many lakes close for trout fishing Oct. 31, but some remain open all year, like Lake Isabella and Island Lake, providing fishing for those willing to brave the elements. Opportunities to catch salmon are limited during the winter months. Hatchery-reared fish return to rivers in the Puget Sound area and on the Olympic Peninsula throughout the winter months.

Salmon Viewing

Kennedy Creek Trail

Located off of Hwy 101, trail is maintained by the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group. The Kennedy Creek was known as “Place of the Singing Fish” by the Squaxin Island Tribe due to the resonant singing of the frogs. Chum are the dominant species that run this stream.

Salmon Center

The Center in Belfair hosts exhibits on ecology and records returns of adult summer Chums on the Union River.

Twanoh Creek

Twanoh Creek in Twanoh State Park offers good vantage points to view running salmon.

Purdy Creek

The WDFW George Adams Fish Hatchery. Annual spring release of juvenile Coho.

Hoodsport Hathchery

Chum salmon fishing from the beach out front of the hatchery.

Quilcene National Hatchery

The hatchery reintroduced Chum salmon back to Big Quilcene River and increased winter Steelhead populations.

More Salmon Viewing

wdfw.wa.gov/salmonscape, interactive map showing streams and tributaries used by migratory salmon.

Spot Shrimp

Spot shrimp have a deep pink/red or pink/orange body with white lines on the head and two pairs of white spots on the tail end. Check area for opening dates (generally May - July).

Dungeness Crab

Purple-tinged, gray or brown on the back and the tips of the claws are typically white. The Dungeness crab may reach 10 inches across the back, though 6 to 7 inches is more common. In Puget Sound this crab is most abundant north of Seattle, in Hood Canal, and near the Pacific Coast. The Dungeness crab is frequently found in eelgrass beds and prefers sandy or muddy substrates.