Mid Channel Bank Chinook Salmon Fishing near Port Townsend, Washington
Mid Channel Bank usually offers the most fast and furious Chinook Salmon fishing in Puget Sound during our summer fishing season. It is the first spot that Chinook Salmon will stop in Admiralty Inlet to gorge on Candlefish (Sand Lance) before heading south into Central Puget Sound. The bank is a gradual underwater hill and fishing the outside edge of it is pretty easy. Mid Channel produces so many summer Chinook that it is considered one of the reasons our Chinook quota gets reached so quickly in Marine Area 9.
Where is Mid Channel Bank?
Mid Channel Bank is located directly North of Marrowstone Island and stretches north towards Point Wilson on the Port Townsend peninsula. It is about 2 nautical miles East of downtown Port Townsend. It is considered part of Marine Area 9. Fishermen run their boats all the way from Shilshole (Seattle), Edmonds and Everett to catch Mid Channel Chinook. If you don’t want to run that far, you can launch a boat in Port Townsend or at Keystone on Whidbey Island and run a couple miles to the fishing grounds.
Mid Channel Bank Chinook Salmon Fishing Map
How to Fish Mid Channel Bank
Mid Channel Bank is comprised of a sandy and gravelly bottom. This is perfect habitat for one of the Chinook Salmon’s most important food source – Sand Land (also known as Candlefish). These small bait fish will burrow into the gravel substrate or school close to the bottom. I would suggest a Coho Killer or Gibbs Wee Gee spoon if you want to imitate a Sand Lance. Fish that behind an 11″ flasher. The bottom is pretty free of any big rocks or boulders. So when you are trolling you can run your gear right off the bottom. Don’t worry about losing a downrigger ball. This technique will put you right in the Chinook catching zone.
Mid Channel Bank is best fished on an outgoing tide. I like to run just north of the Marrowstone Lighthouse at Fort Flagler State Park and troll a 85′ to 120′ contour line towards Point Wilson. Always trolling with the tide, not against it. You need to be dragging your gear within 10′ of the bottom for the chance at a Chinook.
To explore other great fishing spots check out my post Puget Sound Chinook Salmon Fishing Hot Spots
Point No Point Chinook Salmon Fishing
