Coho Salmon are very popular on the west coast in the fall. They can also be found along with Chinook salmon.

Due to the popularity of these fish in the rivers, streams and bays of the Seattle and Vancouver area, they are a big draw for anglers all long the west coast.

As with other times during the year, knowing their depth is critical to being a successful angler and of course you first need to know where they are located.

River Coho Salmon don’t feed while they are spawning, but there are huge populations of Coho Salmon that come into bays and rivers to chase bait fish like herring which are schooling in the bays and river mouths all along the pacific coast from California to Japan.

Locating Coho Salmon Tips

Locating these bait fish is easier than finding Coho Salmon as they travel great distances. And, once you find the bait fish, Coho Salmon are not far behind. Contact the local bait shops and find out what bait fish are schooling in the bays and river mouths and when and what time of day.

Herring usually come into the Puget bay area in late November and stay through December and they are one of the most popular bait fish around. Each bay and river has its own time table and bait fish.

Best Time of Day

Many anglers claim that Coho Salmon are most hungry in the morning and that this is the best time of day to catch them.

There is not a lot of evidence about this, but in areas where there is a lot of noise, fish, including salmon, tend to avoid coming out and will hunt for food when it is less noisy which can mean better fishing in the afternoon or evening. Again, know your habitats and check with locals.

Fighting the Tide for Coho Salmon

Coho Salmon are found in the top water levels in the morning and will feed aggressively. However, finding them is not easy as they are not widely dispersed in the wider mouth.

When the tide is running out, look for Coho Salmon in the whirlpools or eddies towards the edges of the river.

At times of slack water, when the tide is neither coming or going, look for Coho Salmon around river weeds and kelp fields if you are fishing off the coast of Californian rivers.

Fishing Finders and Depth

When fishing for Coho Salmon in river mouths, keep your lures in water no deeper than about 30 feet deep. Most of the time you should be fine catching them in the first twenty feet of water, between 15 feet down to 5 feet down.