Wayne Kruse’s Pick of the Week: Sea-Run cutthroat

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 22, 2017

By Wayne Kruse

For The Herald

From now through July or August, sea-run cutthroat will be hanging out along gravel beaches near the mouths of rivers before heading into freshwater in the late fall. Late March or April usually see the first catches of the season by boat and/or bank fishermen. Our area is one of the best in Puget Sound for these beautiful native trout, with the Skagit, Stillaguamish, and Snohomish river systems all entering the salt in our backyard.

Cutthroat are a favorite of local fly fishermen, using such patterns as sparsely dressed herring-imitating streamers. Hardware anglers cast from shore, using small spinners, or troll spoons parallel to the beach. The rule of thumb for boat fishermen is to have the bottom in sight on one side of the boat.

Almost any of the gravel beaches in this area will put out sea-runs, but a few of the more popular include the lighthouse area near Mukilteo; Priest Point (launch a small boat in Marysville); the outside edge of the bar between Priest Point and Hat (Gedney) Island; both sides of Port Susan; and the Whidbey Island shoreline north and south of Langley.

Once badly over-fished, years of catch-and-release regulations have brought cutthroat numbers back with a vengeance. They offer a nice day on the water for those with cabin fever prior to the general trout opener in late April.