Mouth of the Puyallup?

I have yet to paddle it , but I never see any reports or people discussing fishing the mouth by kayak.  Am I missing something?  I can understand why powerboats don't due to the color of the water it is hard to avoid boulders etc.but why not in a kayak?  I could also see heading out to the mouth and since I am not worried about running aground, parking on a sand bar and fishing for pinks or kings for that matter.

Anyone do this in their yak?  Seems like Thea's park would be a good launch spot (just from google maps).  I think using the advantage of the kayak to get you to places where it is impractical for others to go is one of the beauties of kayak fishing.

Just internet scouting so any info out there?

Well, between the MA-11 closure note (p. 122 of the WDFW booklet) below, and the river itself from the 11th St bridge upstream (p 30), looks like you could either use marine rules below the bridge or make your way up past the bridge and stick to the river rules.

(MA-11)
Commencement Bay Closure: Waters east of a line bearing 215° true (195°30' magnetic) from the Cliff House Restaurant on north shore
(approximate position 47°17.85'N, 122°25.90'W) through Sperry Ocean Dock (approximate position 47°16.43'N, 122°27.37'W) -
Apr. 1- Apr. 30, and June 1-July 31: CLOSED to fishing for SALMON. Aug. 1-Mar. 31 and May 1-May 31: same rules as Marine Area 11 - ENTIRE
AREA. See Department of Health (DOH) Fish Consumption Advisory on page 18

(River)
PUYALLUP RIVER (Pierce Co.) from
11th St. Bridge to Freeman Rd.
(804)
CLOSED WATERS - Aug. 30, 31, Sept. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, Oct. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11,
12, 13, and 14.
CLOSED WATERS - within 400' of the mouth of Clarks Creek.
ALL SPECIES - Aug. 10-Nov. 30: night closure, anti-snagging rule, and barbless hooks required.
TROUT Aug. 10-Dec. 31 Min. size 14". Daily limit 2.
Other Game Fish Aug. 10-Dec. 31 Statewide min. size/daily limit.
SALMON Aug. 10-Dec. 31 Min. size 12". Daily limit 6. Up to 2 adults plus 2 additional PINK may
be retained. Release wild adult CHINOOK.

It does look like you have some "sand" bars there above the 11th St bridge, but there is a lot of crud running off from the Tideflats industrial area.  Not sure I would want to eat anything other than fish "just passing thru"...  No, revise that.  I'm sure I would *not* want to eat anything resident...

Jim

I think it's closed to fishing most times of the year.  Below one of those bridges and the bay is closed a good potion of the year too.  There are lots of launch spots because natives put netting boats in down there all the time.

Ok,  you can fish above the 11th street bridge,  it's the last bridge before it dumps into the bay.

I have fished the mouth quite a few times. There is a great launch and parking at Thea's Park and then it is a short paddle over to the mouth. I have trolled out there for pinks and done really well. I have mooched as well but have not been as successful. There are a lot of seals there so if you do get something on, get it up and into the yak as fast as possible. There is also a pocket in by Simpson where a bunch of the fir trees grow and the fish school up there like crazy. We absolutely killed the pinks on flies in there year before last. I have never ventured up the river because of nets, regulations, and boats but like I said in front has been productive.

Where is this pocket located?  I snipped an image out of G-earth...  "L" is launch point at Thea Park, places I see trees are 1,2,3...


Jim

Great reply and great map.  So from looking at the regs it is legal to fish, right?  I didn't pass the bar exam, but I am pretty sure it looks like it can be fished, noting the closure dates so that the nets can catch all the wild fish we have to let go.

When you trolled did you do the typical flasher hoochie or just a spoon?

It doesn't open until August 10th, so it is not currently legal to fish.

The pocket is right at #3 right where the big piles of saw dust are. We were throwing pink shrimp patterns at them and I am not kidding it was a fish every cast. I have never seen anything like it before. Right in the middle of the day but it was at tide change. The high tide change. We threw so many fish back it was insane. It will get hot right about the time that it opens on the 10th. When I was trolling I was using a small silver flasher and a pink hoochie that I tied up. Trolling a pink buzz bomb actually worked well too. It is a lot of fun to fish down there because not many people hit it up. You do have to keep aware of tug boats, fuel barges, people coming out of the Foss waterway, and the occasional freighter going in and out. Great place to fish. Thanks for posting the date Lee.

It doesn't open until August 10th, so it is not currently legal to fish.

As I read it, the Aug 10 date is for the river, so upstream of the 11th St bridge.  Downstream of the bridge and out in the bay, Aug 1 is when it opens.  The Puyallup isn't included in any of the emergency rule updates (so far).

Jim

The pocket is right at #3 right where the big piles of saw dust are. We were throwing pink shrimp patterns at them and I am not kidding it was a fish every cast. I have never seen anything like it before. Right in the middle of the day but it was at tide change. The high tide change. We threw so many fish back it was insane. It will get hot right about the time that it opens on the 10th. When I was trolling I was using a small silver flasher and a pink hoochie that I tied up. Trolling a pink buzz bomb actually worked well too. It is a lot of fun to fish down there because not many people hit it up. You do have to keep aware of tug boats, fuel barges, people coming out of the Foss waterway, and the occasional freighter going in and out. Great place to fish. Thanks for posting the date Lee.

Thanks, KK! 

It doesn't open until August 10th, so it is not currently legal to fish.

As I read it, the Aug 10 date is for the river, so upstream of the 11th St bridge.  Downstream of the bridge and out in the bay, Aug 1 is when it opens.  The Puyallup isn't included in any of the emergency rule updates (so far).

Jim

If you're below that bridge and not competed out of the river,  I'm willing to bet WDFW could, and if they see you, would ticket you.

Do you think area 3 (from the picture)is the sound or the river?  I am headed out on vacation and will not be back before Aug. 10th so it is a moot point for me, but I will be hitting the water on Aug. 16th for sure, and will probably target this area.

It doesn't open until August 10th, so it is not currently legal to fish.

As I read it, the Aug 10 date is for the river, so upstream of the 11th St bridge.  Downstream of the bridge and out in the bay, Aug 1 is when it opens.  The Puyallup isn't included in any of the emergency rule updates (so far).

Jim

If you're below that bridge and not competed out of the river,  I'm willing to bet WDFW could, and if they see you, would ticket you.

Law Enforcement can always do that.  In this case, the rules are clear enough I'd fight it...

W, the spot marked as #3 would be outside the river and fall under the MA for sure.

Jim

The #3 area is not in the river...It is on the other side of the rock wall that separates the river from the sound...The water moves around back in there and there is a small rock island that is near where the Foss tugs park at...That is where you want to go. It is shallow and they school up in there like crazy. The noise from that mill gets old after a while though. You forget how loud the mill and the port are when you are down there. There is excellent crabbing in that area too...