Puget Sound Lingcod season starts May 1st, 2025
One of the best fishing options for the spring season in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands
The 2025 Puget Sound Lingcod season opens on May 1st! As the spring season comes around, anglers across the Puget Sound region start to get really excited about one of our first substantial fishing seasons of the year. Whether you’re located in South Puget Sound, or on the northern edges of the San Juan Islands near the Canadian border, this is a fishery you absolutely need to experience. The Lingcod is our very own Pacific Northwest Sea Dragon. These are the predators of the reef and dominate their underwater realm. A large bucket like mouth ringed with sharp teeth give them the confidence to hunt prey that can be nearly as big as they are!
We have all the gear you need! Check out our Lingcod Fishing Gear page for rods, reels, lures and tackle!
Puget Sound & San Juan Islands Lingcod Season 2025
Lingcod season will be open this year for 45 days. All of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands will be open to Lingcod. Once again, the Hood Canal is closed to Lingcod fishing in 2025.
Season: May 1st – June 15th
Daily Limit: 1 Lingcod between 26”-36”
The entire area has a depth restriction, and fishing is only allowed in waters less than 120’. A descending device must be aboard your vessel and ready to deploy, and do use it, especially for Rockfish which have an air bladder that will keep them bobbing on the surface without a little extra help. For those of you that plan on having live bait on board, there is an aggregate bottomfish limit of 15 allowed per person, which for the most part is more than enough.
Remember, anytime you're fishing for bottomfish, you need a decending device on board, rigged and ready to deploy.
Lingcod fishing in Puget Sound
Most areas of Puget Sound open up on May 1st, and one interesting thing about Lingcod fishing here is that it’s both very good but also there is a surprising lack of rocky reefs and underwater rockpiles where Lingcod traditionally thrive. The bottom of Puget Sound is varied with underwater flats, banks and ridges, many of which have a gravelly, muddy or clay bottom. It’s the natural coldwater reefs that are comprised of sponges and anemones that allow for such a good abundance of Lingcod in certain areas. Some natural features like Foulweather Bluff, Possession Bar, Blakely Rocks and Tovola Shoal are prime spots for Lingcod. Many other areas where we catch them are actually artificial reefs, like at Hat Island (Everett), Alki Reef (Seattle) and Blake Island.
Fishing with live bait is the top option in Puget Sound. Catching live bait in the morning on your way out and really increase your catch rate, but if that’s more effort than you want to put in for the day, drifting with frozen herring or jigging with soft plastics can also be worthwhile.
Lingcod fishing in the San Juan Islands
Fishing for Lingcod in the San Juan Islands is a bit different than fishing for them in Puget Sound. The archipelago has a lot more current moving between the islands, and the structure is much more intense and exaggerated, compared to the rolling underwater banks and drop-offs of Puget Sound. Here you will find actual rockpiles, troughs, rocky reefs and seawalls, all that hold Lingcod. Jigging with soft plastics is a popular method here, and if you plan on fishing live-bait, it’s a little more common to find greenling as your bait, although there are a few sandy bays that do hold sand dabs.
Seattle Fishing Co. has the gear you need for Lingcod fishing
We have everything you need for Lingcod fishing in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. A great place to start is our Lingcod Fishing Gear page for rods, reels, lures and tackle. But we will mention some of our favorites below as well...
Live Bait Lingcod Gear
Check out our Lingcod Live Bait Rigging Guide for more diagram and more info. We like to run our weights on a sliding swivel ahead of our main swivel. You’re going to need some basic barrel swivels, beads, 40 pound leader material, and your choice of hooks, which can range anywhere from a single 3/0 Gamakatsu Circle Hook to tandem 4/0-8/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Hooks for larger sand dabs or Greenling.
Jigging with Soft Plastics & Metal
Soft plastic lures are really effective for Lingcod. Our favorite pre-rigged is a Fisherman’s Gold Electric Eel in 4-8 ounces. Other plastics that work well are P-Line Twintail Squid 7”, Kalin’s Octogambo and Big-N-Grubs, Flounder Pounders, Berkley Gulp Grubs and P-Line Twintail Grubs, all on a lead bullet jighead 3-8 ounces. Pitbull Tackle Swimbaits 5-8” on a Swimbait Jighead 3-8 ounces is another great pairing.
Metal jigs have always been a staple, especially in the San Juan Islands. Otori Puget Pounder Jigs in 2-4 ounces, P-Line Laser Minnows in 2-4 ounces, and Mustad Moonriser Jigs are all great options. Replace the hooks with a Gamakatsu Assist Hook for fewer snags and better hookups.
Drifting with Herring
This is a simple way to get it done, and a longtime tactic. As we are an online shop, we don’t sell frozen baits, but find yourself some Green Label or Blue Label Herring, you can brine it up with Brine & Bite the night before to toughen it up a little. Rig on a herring leader, 40 pound with 4/0, 5/0, 6/0 hooks. The simplest setup is the leader tied to a mooching sinker, I’d have a selection of 3-8 ounces depending on location, depth, current.
Explore Puget Sound’s reefs for trophy Lingcod
Lingcod fishing in Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands has become a popular springtime activity. Finding and exploring the areas many reefs is excitement in itself, and the chance of catching a slot-limit sized Lingcod to take home, or a trophy Lingcod topping 20 pounds is highly likely if you find yourself in the right place with the right gear. Check out our Lingcod page for all the right rods, reels, tackle and equipment needed for this fun fishery. Have a great Lingcod season!