Fishing News and Updates

Bottom Fishing opens March 11

Halibut Fishing in Marine Area 2 Westport-Ocean Shores opens on May 2nd for fishing. If sufficient quatoa remains, additional opening days in June. 

Season dates for South Coast Marine Area 2:

                  May 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30

If sufficient quota remains, open:

                  June 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30

If quota remains after June 30, open up to seven days per week in August and September.

Salmon Fishing opens July 2 in Westport (Marine area 2) but, opens sooner in other areas along the coast.

Bottom Fishing Start March 11 with new rock fish regulations.

Westport Charterboat Association has an annual fishing derby where they award over &60,000 in prizes each season:

• $10,000 for the largest Chinook (King) 
• $1,500 for the largest Coho
• $1,000 for the largest Halibut
• $1,500 for the largest Ling Cod
• $1,000 for the largest Albacore Tuna

Plus the are daily and  Weekly prizes of up to $400.

WDFW NEWS RELEASE

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife                                  1111 Washington St. SE< Olympia WA 98501                 wdfw.wa.gov

Feb. 16, 2023
Contact: Fish Program, 360-902-2700
Media contact: Mark Yuasa, 360-902-2262

WDFW invites public participation in annual salmon season-setting process

Washington's North of Falcon process kicks off March 3 with statewide salmon forecast meeting at the Lacey Community Center

OLYMPIA – Fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have scheduled numerous opportunities for the public to participate in setting state-managed salmon seasons in 2023-2024, beginning with a statewide forecast meeting on Friday, March 3.

That meeting, part of the season-setting process known as North of Falcon, is just one of more than a dozen in-person and virtual meetings scheduled in the coming months to discuss salmon fisheries across Washington. North of Falcon refers to waters north of Oregon's Cape Falcon, which marks the southern border of management of Washington's salmon stocks, including Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Columbia River, and coastal areas.

Input from recreational and commercial fishers and others interested in salmon fishing will be considered while state fishery managers partner with tribal co-managers to craft the 2023-2024 fisheries.

"We know Washington anglers look forward to salmon seasons each year, with many planning trips well in advance, and the season-setting process is a crucial time for the public to engage as we work alongside tribal co-managers" said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. "The process is about cooperation and collaboration. We're committed to providing sustainable fishing opportunities balanced with salmon conservation needs. We are continually working to improve fisheries management in the interest of salmon, recreational and commercial fishers, and the communities that depend on the salmon resource."

"During the North of Falcon process, each treaty tribe engages in government-to-government negotiation with our state co-managers," said Ed Johnstone, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "Fisheries management keeps getting more challenging because of ongoing habitat loss, declining salmon runs, marine mammal predation and impacts of climate change. We have to make tough decisions because we are managing a diminishing resource. These decisions wouldn't be so difficult if we had fish. We all need to work together to rebuild the weakest stocks—those stocks that limit fisheries on healthier populations—to be responsible stewards to the salmon that sustain all of our ways of life."

WDFW will present initial salmon forecasts developed by WDFW and tribal co-manager fisheries biologists on Friday, March 3 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Avenue S.E. in Lacey. The main session of the March 3 meeting will be available to watch via Zoom webinar. WDFW and tribal forecasters use a suite of scientific data, including watershed sampling and monitoring, ocean indicators, and previous year returns, to estimate the number of salmon and steelhead that will return to Northwest waters, and how many fish will be available for harvest.

In addition to attending meetings, the public can participate in the state's process including:

• Online comments: The public can now provide general comments on potential fisheries at WDFW's North of Falcon public input webpage. Additional comment opportunities on specific seasons and fisheries will be available as forecasts and proposed season summaries are made available.
   
• Conference calls and daily briefings: During the final days of negotiations, state fish managers plan to hold briefings each day, which will be available via conference call. 

For a full timeline of the state's North of Falcon process, including a public meeting schedule with opportunities to participate in meetings and provide public feedback, visit WDFW's North of Falcon public meetings webpage. Any additional meetings will be added as they are scheduled. WDFW-hosted meetings will be held in-person or in virtual and hybrid formats for the public to watch or listen.

This process occurs in tandem with Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) public meetings to establish fishing seasons for salmon in ocean waters 3 to 200 miles off the Pacific coast. The PFMC will discuss preliminary options for ocean fisheries during its March 5-10 meeting and is expected to adopt final fishing seasons and harvest levels at its April 2-7 meeting. More information on meetings is available on PFMC's website.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

2024 Salmon Season

Opening Dates of Salmon fishing are as follows: TBA 2024

Washington salmon seasons tentatively set for 2022-23

Ocean fisheries: 

Coho are expected to return in large numbers to the Washington coast in 2022, and in coastal marine areas coho quotas reflect those improved forecasts. Fishery managers agreed during this week’s PFMC meeting to recreational ocean quotas of 27,000 Chinook and 168,000 marked coho, more than double the 2021 coho quota.

LaPush (Marine Area 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) will open for salmon retention beginning June 18, followed by Ilwaco (Marine Area 1) on June 25 and Westport-Ocean Shores (Marine Area 2) on July 2. All areas are scheduled to remain open until Sept. 30 or until quotas are met, with species and size restrictions dependent on the area.

Washington salmon seasons tentatively set for 2022-23

OLYMPIA – Anglers in Washington can expect similar salmon fishing opportunities this year compared to 2021, with some improved opportunities in the ocean driven by strong expected coho returns, state fishery managers have announced.

The 2022-23 salmon fishing seasons, cooperatively developed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and treaty tribal co-managers, were tentatively set Tuesday afternoon at a week-long Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting held online and in-person in Seattle.

“We continue to see low returns of some stocks across Washington, especially Chinook stocks, and our first priority is to craft fisheries that conserve and aid recovery of those runs,” said WDFW Director Kelly Susewind. “At the same time, there are bright spots in this year’s forecast, and we developed what we believe are some novel ways to maximize opportunities in areas where healthy runs might mingle with those weaker stocks.”

Negotiations between WDFW and co-managers this year were guided in part by a new Puget Sound Harvest Management Plan that has been submitted to federal regulators and is expected to provide long-term fishery guidance for Puget Sound if approved.

"Now that we've met the challenge of providing harvest opportunities, the co-managers need to get back to the work of recovering salmon," said Shawn Yanity, vice chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. "Protecting treaty rights is not about fighting over the last fish. It’s about salmon recovery in the long term."

Season recommendations now move forward for approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service and final rulemaking, including additional opportunity for public comment and consideration of those comments.

Puget Sound

Low returns of Stillaguamish Chinook are expected to continue affecting fisheries across Puget Sound. Stillaguamish and Snohomish Chinook returns will especially impact fishing in the San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7) and Admiralty Inlet (Marine Area 9). Managers have proposed a three-day hatchery Chinook and coho fishery from July 14-16 in those areas, followed by a coho-directed fishery starting Aug. 16.

“Strong catch rates and fishing pressure led to some early closures in these areas last year, and we wanted to make sure we do not exceed our catch allocations in 2022,” said Kyle Adicks, intergovernmental salmon manager with WDFW. “We heard from many anglers that they wanted an opportunity to fish in July in these areas, and this offers some opportunity while still hopefully preserving the chance to fish on what’s expected to be a solid coho run later in the summer.”

Winter Chinook fisheries will again be limited in Puget Sound in 2022-23, with some Chinook retention opportunity available in November and December in Marine Area 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), February and March in Marine Area 10 (Seattle-Bremerton), and March and April in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu).

Most Puget Sound marine areas will once again open for the summer season beginning in July or August, with June openers currently planned for Marine Areas 10 and 11.

Columbia River

Summer fisheries on the Columbia River are expected to be reduced compared to last year, with fishing from the Astoria-Megler bridge to Highway 395 bridge in Pasco starting June 16. The fishery below Bonneville is scheduled to be open through June 22. Sockeye retention is not allowed.

Fall fisheries from Buoy 10 to the Highway 395 bridge in Pasco is planned for an Aug. 1 opener, with different dates by area for Chinook and coho, and includes steelhead restrictions throughout the river. Another strong coho run is expected and a similar Chinook run size compared to last year should provide for some good fishing opportunities.

Ocean fisheries

Coho are expected to return in large numbers to the Washington coast in 2022, and in coastal marine areas coho quotas reflect those improved forecasts. Fishery managers agreed during this week’s PFMC meeting to recreational ocean quotas of 27,000 Chinook and 168,000 marked coho, more than double the 2021 coho quota.

LaPush (Marine Area 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4) will open for salmon retention beginning June 18, followed by Ilwaco (Marine Area 1) on June 25 and Westport-Ocean Shores (Marine Area 2) on July 2. All areas are scheduled to remain open until Sept. 30 or until quotas are met, with species and size restrictions dependent on the area.

Additional information

Additional information about this year's sport salmon fisheries and the North of Falcon process can be found on WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/nof. Visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations to see statewide fishing regulations and download the latest fishing rules pamphlet, and https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/ for emergency rule changes that may impact fisheries.

For information on tribal fisheries, contact the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (https://nwifc.org).

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.

2024 Halibut Season

2024 halibut season dates South Coast (Marine Area 2)

The 2024 season dates for Washington recreational halibut fisheries have been adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and the annual Pacific halibut quota for Area 2A fisheries (Washington, Oregon, California) was set by the International Pacific Halibut Commission at its January 2024 meeting.  Season dates remain preliminary until implemented in federal rule.  All openings are subject to quota availability. 

Season dates for South Coast Marine Area 2:

                  May 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30

If sufficient quota remains, open:

                  June 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 30

If quota remains after June 30, open up to seven days per week in August and September.

Bottom Fishing Rules & News

2023 Bottom Fishing Dates

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98501
wdfw.wa.gov 

Feb. 27, 2023
Contact: Lorna Wargo, 360-581-5611
Media contact: Mark Yuasa, 360-902-2262

Coastal recreational bottomfishing opens Saturday, March 11 with new rockfish regulations

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today the recreational coastal bottomfish season opens Saturday, March 11 with new rockfish regulations.

The new regulations are specific to copper rockfish, quillback rockfish, and vermilion rockfish. Possession of the three rockfish species will be prohibited in May, June, and July, when peak effort for bottomfish occurs. This restriction is intended to reduce catch to stay within state specific federal harvest limits. Recent scientific assessments for the three rockfish species indicate populations are likely healthy but smaller than previously understood.

Allowing possession and retention of these three rockfish species during March, August, September, and October supports collection of crucial biological information such as length and age which are important for future scientific assessments.

Anglers are reminded that a descending device must be on board vessels and rigged for immediate use when fishing for or possessing bottomfish and halibut. Information about descending devices can be found on WDFW's webpage.

"The use of descending devices to release rockfish that can't be kept is an effective way to improve their survival," said Lorna Wargo, WDFW intergovernmental ocean policy coordinator. "We've been pleased at the way anglers have adopted the regular use of descending devices to release rockfish as a responsible fishing practice."

2023 coastal recreational bottomfishing seasons

• Ilwaco, Westport-Ocean Shores, and La Push (Marine Areas 1, 2, and 3) and Neah Bay (Marine Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh) will open March 11 through Oct. 21. Daily aggregate limit is nine bottomfish and includes a sub-limit of seven rockfish. Daily limit is two lingcod and one cabezon per angler and no minimum size restriction. New for 2023 – Possession prohibited for copper rockfish, quillback rockfish, and vermilion rockfish in May, June, and July.
   
• Neah Bay (Marine Area 4 east of Bonilla-Tatoosh) is open year-round for bottomfishing. Lingcod fishing is open March 11 through Oct. 21. Daily aggregate limit is nine bottomfish and includes a sub-limit of seven black, blue and deacon rockfish, and yellowtail and widow rockfish. Daily limit is two lingcod and one cabezon per angler and no minimum size restriction.

A bottomfish limit doesn't include halibut, which has a daily limit of one halibut, and an annual limit of four halibut.

Surfperch and shiner perch are not part of the bottomfish limit. Surfperch has a daily limit of 12 and shiner perch has a daily limit of 15 and no minimum size restriction. Fishing is open second Saturday in March through the third Saturday in October except open year-round from the beach.

Fishing for, retaining or possessing Sixgill, Sevengill, and Thresher sharks is closed in all Marine Areas. A Sixgill shark may not be removed from the water.

For additional information, regarding seasons, daily limits, gear rules, depth restrictions and bottomfish closure areas, please see the Washington Sportfishing Rules pamphlet webpage.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.

Tuna Fishing

2022 Tuna Fishing Dates:

Tuna fishing starts in early July and runs into mid October and is open 7 days per week.

For Albacore and Mackerel there is no possession limit or daily limit. 

Yellowfin, Skipjack and Northern Bluefin there is no possession limit but a daily limit of 2 each.

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Record Fish

Rivers & Fresh Water Fishing

WDFW NEWS RELEASE 
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091 
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

June 1, 2017
Contact: Steve Thiesfeld, 360-902-2662

Anglers can fish for free June 10-11

OLYMPIA – Each year, thousands of Washingtonians go fishing – legally – without a license on "Free Fishing Weekend," scheduled for June 10-11.

During those two days, no license will be required to fish or gather shellfish in any waters open to fishing in Washington state.

Anglers will also not need a Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Endorsement, otherwise required to fish for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River and its tributaries.  Nor will they need a Two Pole Endorsement to fish with two poles in selected waters where two-pole fishing is permitted.

Also, no vehicle access pass or Discover Pass will be required during Free Fishing Weekend to park at any of the nearly 700 water-access sites maintained by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).  A Discover Pass is required in state parks on Sunday, June 11 and on DNR lands throughout the weekend however.

"If you haven't fished in Washington, or want to introduce fishing to someone new to the sport, this is the weekend to get out there," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW inland fish program manager.

Anglers have been catching daily limits of trout at lakes for the past month, and many rivers will open to trout fishing June 3 throughout the state. Other options available on Free Fishing Weekend include:

• Lingcod on the coast.
• Bass, crappie, perch and other warmwater fish biting in lakes throughout Washington.
• Hatchery spring chinook on the lower Yakima River
• Shad on the Columbia River.
• Hatchery steelhead on rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.

For tips, new anglers should check online for the "Fish Washington" feature at the department's homepage (http://wdfw.wa.gov). The site provides details on lowland lake fishing, high lake fishing and marine area opportunities.

For those planning fishing vacations, Great Washington Getaways (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/vacation) showcases some of the state's best family travel and fishing opportunities. 

And, for those who want even more fishing advice, the Fish Washington video page (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/videos) provides "how to" fishing videos designed to introduce techniques to both new and seasoned anglers.

Anglers who take part in free fishing weekend can also participate in the department's 2017 Trout Fishing Derby and redeem tags from fish caught over the weekend. Interested anglers should check for details online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/derby.

Before heading out, anglers should also check the current fishing regulations valid through June at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.  

While no licenses are required on Free Fishing Weekend, other rules such as size limits, bag limits and area closures will still be in effect. Anglers will also be required to complete a catch record card for any salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or halibut they catch.

Catch record cards are available free at hundreds of sporting goods stores and other license dealers throughout the state. See http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors on the WDFW website to locate a license dealer.

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