UTERPacific halibut fishing in Washington Coast and Puget Sound
In Washington Coast and Puget Sound, Pacific halibut peak May–June and August and are around April–September, according to Fish Scouter's month-by-month season calendar. May: Neah Bay, La Push and Westport open in May — Thursdays/Saturdays on the north coast, Sundays at Westport in recent years; quota-driven.
Not in Washington Coast and Puget Sound this month.
Pacific halibut in Washington Coast and Puget Sound, month by month
- JanuaryNot here
- FebruaryNot here
- MarchNot here
- AprilArrivingEastern Puget Sound halibut usually opens in April.
- MayPeakNeah Bay, La Push and Westport open in May — Thursdays/Saturdays on the north coast, Sundays at Westport in recent years; quota-driven.
- JunePeakMore days if quota holds; Swiftsure and the Blue Dot off Neah Bay.
- JulyAround
- AugustPeakNorth coast reopened mid-August in 2024 when quota was left — check WDFW.
- SeptemberLeavingLate-season days to the end of September if quota allows.
- OctoberNot here
- NovemberNot here
- DecemberNot here
Where to fish Pacific halibut near Ilwaco, Westport, La Push
An exposed outer coast (Westport, La Push, Neah Bay), the Columbia mouth and Willapa Bay at the south end, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound and Hood Canal — deep, cold fjords with points, kelp and steep shelves.
Fish Scouter charts 242 wreck spots in the Washington Coast & Puget Sound map area — the kinds Pacific halibut hold on.
What to use for Pacific halibut
- SquidStrips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig.
- HerringCut-plug for salmon: head off at an angle, guts out, two hooks in tandem so it spins slow behind a flasher or a banana weight. Whole and live on a circle hook for stripers where the herring run.
- Leader80–150 lb mono
- Hook8/0–14/0
- Braid65–100 lb
Feeds in 38–55°F water, best at 42–50°F.
Questions anglers ask
When is the best time to catch Pacific halibut in Washington Coast and Puget Sound?
Peak season is May–June and August. Pacific halibut are in Washington Coast and Puget Sound April–September. May: Neah Bay, La Push and Westport open in May — Thursdays/Saturdays on the north coast, Sundays at Westport in recent years; quota-driven.
Where do Pacific halibut hold in Washington Coast and Puget Sound?
Look on ledge / hard bottom, channel edge, artificial reef — around Ilwaco, Westport, La Push, Neah Bay, Sekiu, Seattle.
What is the best bait for Pacific halibut in Washington Coast and Puget Sound?
Live bait: squid, herring. Squid: Strips on a bottom rig for snapper, grunts and porgies; whole on a deep-drop rig. Tackle: leader 80–150 lb mono, hook 8/0–14/0, braid 65–100 lb.
What are the rules for Pacific halibut in Washington Coast and Puget Sound?
Size and bag limits and closed seasons are set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and change — read the current rule at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations before you keep a fish. A licence is sold at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/fishing.
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All about Pacific halibut · Washington Coast & Puget Sound, the whole year