Pink salmon tend to hug the shorelines to avoid strong currents making them easily accessible to bank anglers especially during an hour before and right after a flood tide. Slack tide can be another favorable time to catch a pink salmon.

Often anglers will sight fish in the water before throwing out their presentation or looking for jumping or finning fish on the surface or taking notice of other anglers reeling them in nearby.

When planning a saltwater bank fishing trip in Puget Sound make sure location has public access. Shoreline locations include West Beach at Deception Pass; Lincoln Park to Alki Point in West Seattle; Richmond Beach; Redondo Beach; Dash Point State Park; Fort Casey, Keystone, Bush Point and Lagoon Point off the west side of Whidbey Island; Point Wilson near Port Townsend; Point No Point; Marrowstone Island’s eastern shoreline; along the east side of Bainbridge Island; Browns Point Lighthouse Park in Tacoma; Edmonds Pier; Seacrest Pier in West Seattle; and Point Defiance Park Pier and Les Davis Pier in Tacoma.

By late August and through September, the majority of pink salmon will move into Puget Sound rivers and streams. Anglers should check fishing regulations for what rivers and streams are open or closed. Certain rivers such as the Stillaguamish are closed until later in September (unless announced otherwise via Fishing regulations | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) to protect endangered Chinook salmon, while others like the Snohomish have Selective Gear Rules in place to minimize impacts on Chinook

For the latest in-season salmon fishery information, refer to the WDFW The Salmon Fishing Current blog: summer and fall 2025 edition.