Our Guide to Midchannel Bank Salmon Fishing
Midchannel Bank located near the entrance to Puget Sound in Admiralty Inlet and one of the better places to catch salmon near Port Townsend, WA. It’s best known as one of the first places in Puget Sound where anglers catch Summer Chinook as they migrate home. Fishing is best when the currents are strongest, making this a challenging yet rewarding salmon fishing spot.
Where is Midchannel Bank?
Admiralty Inlet is the waterway that connects Central Puget Sound to the Strait of Juan De Fuca, it is narrow and has some of the strongest tidal currents in the region. On the western side of the Inlet, between Port Townsend and Marrowstone Island is a shallow bar called MidChannel Bank. It’s coarse gravel makeup is perfect habitat for Candlefish, one of the top food sources for Chinook Salmon.
It holds resident Chinook year round, and is a major feeding area for migratory Chinook as they make their way back to Puget Sound in the summer.
Midchannel Bank Fishing Map
Midchannel Bank Fishing Seasons
Mid Channel Bank is one of the northernmost fishing areas in Puget Sound’s Marine Area 9. Lately we have had some really great fishing here during the first few weeks of the Puget Sound summer salmon fishing season, but with a quota based season and typically high catch rates, it won’t last all summer. Coho and Pink salmon fishing occurs during late summer and early fall and can be really good in the area as well. Check out Marine Area 9 Regulations and Emergency Rules
Seattle Fishing Co. has the gear you need for Midchannel Bank
Most people catch their salmon at Mid Channel Bank with downriggers and trolling gear. There is a small contingent of people mooching and jigging on the top of the bar that do really well. Check out our recommendations below, or if you want to see our full selection, visit our Saltwater Salmon Page.
Our favorite Midchannel Trolling setups
Pro-Troll Lighted 11" Flasher, P-Line CFX Fluorocarbon Leader 30 pound - 40", Gibbs Skinny G Spoon
Gibbs Highliner Flasher, Gamakatsu Herring Leader 2/0 3/0 - 25 pound - 42", small herring in a Krippled Anchovy Helmet
Oki Tackle Big Shooter Flasher, P-Line CFX Fluorocarbon Leader 30 pound - 40", Silver Horde Coho Killer Spoon.
Mooching setup for Puget Sound
Sinker: Fisherman’s Gold Coated Mooching Sinker 3 ounce to 5 ounce
Bait: Green Label or Red Label Cut-plug Herring cured with Brine N Bite, make sure you have a good bait knife and a bait cutting guide.
Leader: Gamakatsu Herring Leader with 2/0 3/0 hooks or 3/0 4/0 hooks and 20 pound to 30 pound fluorocarbon with a length of 48” to 60 “
Jigging on Midchannel Bank
Puget Pounder Jig 2 ounce to 3-1/2 ounce and P-Line Laser Minnow 2 ounce to 3 ounce
Replacement Hooks: Gamakatsu Big River Bait Open Eye Hooks size 2/0 to 4/0, split ring size 5, barrel swivel size 7
Leader: P-Line SS Fluorocarbon 20 pound to 30 pound with a length of 33” to 40”
Exploring and learning to fish Midchannel Bank
Mid Channel Bank runs parallel to the main channel of Admiralty Inlet, and gently slopes from 30’ to a steep dropoff around 120’. It’s typically in the 70’ to 110’ depth zone where most of the fishing occurs, on the eastern drop off of the bank. Moochers, jiggers and some trollers will work shallower areas in 45’ to 70’ and find success.
The best tides to fish Mid Channel Bank are an extreme outgoing tide, the larger the tide change the better. Plan on getting there just after high tide and fish all the current through the low tide. Once the tide slacks out and begins to flood, most of the Chinook will scatter and the bite will die.
Most of the trollers will start just north of the tide rips at Marrowstone Island Lighthouse and troll northwest towards Port Townsend along the bank, cross currents will push your boat outward, so slightly angle the bow to the west to maintain a good trackline along the contour. It’s amazing how fast the current moves here so concentration and teamwork are a must!
Because the primary forage is Sand Lance (Candlefish), all the Chinook will be found within 10’ of the bottom, scouring the gravel looking for food. Regardless of the technique, most people won’t catch salmon unless their gear is close to the bottom.