Best pink salmon lakes in Washington
9 Washington waters list pink salmon (official records or labelled estimates), 9 mapped with survey or official-chart depth data. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality, leading with the waters in our reviewed search catalog — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. A schooling Southeast Alaska salmon that follows nearshore forage before returning to coastal streams, with run strength varying sharply by year and drainage.
- Quartermaster Harbor — 153 ft · Survey depth data · 77% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Surfperch, Pink Salmon, Chum SalmonWhy #1: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Dyes Inlet — 134 ft · Survey depth data · 93% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #2: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Poverty Bay — 509 ft · Survey depth data · 77% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #3: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Port Gamble Bay — 66 ft · Survey depth data · 89% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #4: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Eagle Harbor — 66 ft · Survey depth data · 99% measured · real survey depth contours · Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #5: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Gig Harbor — 40 ft · Survey depth data · 77% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #6: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 3 public access sites, 1 carry-in or shore-oriented
- Blakely Harbor — 167 ft · Survey depth data · 93% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #7: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
- Shilshole Bay — 146 ft · Survey depth data · 93% measured · real survey depth contours · Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook Salmon, Pacific Coho SalmonWhy #8: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 2 public access sites
- Browns Bay — 322 ft · Survey depth data · 88% measured · real survey depth contours · Cutthroat Trout, Pink Salmon, Chum Salmon, Pacific Chinook SalmonWhy #9: survey-backed contours receive the ranking's data-quality boost · 1 public access site
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How to use this ranking
The order is a map-planning ranking, not a claim about today's fish population. It favors larger mapped waters and gives survey-backed contours a three-times data-quality boost. Agency population surveys, current regulations, access and recent conditions should make the final decision.
Compare maximum depth across 37,233 lake records · See Washington waters with public access data
When to fish pink salmon in Washington
- Spring 8–60 ft — Mostly a broad nearshore search period; confirm bait and local reports before committing.
- Summer 3–70 ft — Follow visible schools along shoreline points, rock-lined travel lanes and stream approaches; run timing varies sharply by year and drainage.
- Fall 2–60 ft — Late fish concentrate near freshwater influence and shoreline travel structure; release dark spawning fish and observe local closures.
- Winter 20–90 ft — Not a dependable winter bay target; treat any encounter as incidental.
Also in Washington: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best bluegill lakes · best channel catfish lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best yellow perch lakes · best common carp lakes · best chinook salmon lakes · best coho salmon lakes · best steelhead lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best kokanee lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes · best chum salmon lakes · best pacific chinook salmon lakes · best pacific coho salmon lakes · best english sole lakes · best lingcod lakes
Pink Salmon elsewhere: British Columbia · Alaska