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FISHING CALENDAR · WASHINGTON

Washington Fishing Calendar

Washington fishing covers the outer coast (Ilwaco, Westport, La Push, Neah Bay), the Strait and Puget Sound marine areas, the Columbia River from Buoy 10 to the Snake, coastal steelhead rivers and hundreds of lowland lakes. Good months come from WDFW's lake fishing-prospects calendars, its fishing planners and blogs, and species pages. Closed months come from 2026 WDFW season pages and the 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules.

Government fish & wildlife updates

Month by month

Peak (source says best)In season / caughtSpawningClosed seasonOpen, no official month data
FishJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNotes
Freshwater
Rainbow trout (lowland lakes)WDFW says lake rainbows are generally best in spring, when thousands are stocked. Fishing stays strong into June, slows in summer, and picks up again in fall. Lakes are open all year unless the rules list them otherwise. Rivers are open the Saturday before Memorial Day through Oct. 31. Lakes: 5 a day. Rivers: 2 a day, 8-inch minimum.[1][4][5]
KokaneeThe fishery usually runs April through October. WDFW says it is best in spring (Lake Chelan: mid-April through June). Lake Roosevelt is the exception, with its peak January through April. Adults spawn starting in late October and early November. Limit 10 a day.[1][3][6][4]
Coastal cutthroat troutIn Lake Washington, WDFW says fishing is best in spring and fall, with a lull in July and August and the slowest catch in late winter while adults spawn in creeks. Sea-run cutthroat in Puget Sound salt water are catch-and-release only. In South Sound they're best in winter and spring.[2][28]
WalleyeWDFW says walleye fishing peaks before and after the April spawn, summer is excellent, fall improves, and winter is tougher but still fair. Banks Lake, Moses Lake, Potholes and Lake Roosevelt are top spots. Lakes: 8 a day, 12-inch minimum, only 1 over 22 inches. No limit in rivers.[1][4]
Smallmouth bassFishing improves through spring as fish move shallow and is strongest around the spawn. There's a summer lull (dawn and dusk stay good), it picks up again in fall, and winter is the hardest time. Lakes: 10 a day, only 1 over 14 inches. No limit in rivers.[1][4][37]
Largemouth bassSame pattern as smallmouth: best around the spring spawn, a summer lull, better in fall, and slow in winter. Lakes: 5 a day, only bass under 12 inches may be kept, except 1 over 17 inches. No limit in rivers.[1][4][37]
White sturgeonCatch-and-release only below Bonneville Dam, on the coast and in Puget Sound. Retention is allowed only in the Columbia from Bonneville to McNary when opened (38–54 or 43–54 inch fork length, 1 a day, 2 a year). 2026 retention: John Day Pool Jan. 1–9, and Bonneville and The Dalles pools Feb. 16 only. Use one single-point barbless hook.[4][12][34][35]
American shadShad pass Bonneville Dam from mid-May into early August, with peak daily counts in June. The hot spot is the bank just below Bonneville Dam. No size or daily limit. The Columbia below Bonneville is closed to shad Apr. 1–May 15.[20][4]
Salmon & steelhead
Spring Chinook (Columbia)2026: Mar. 1–Apr. 8 from Buoy 10 to Beacon Rock, and Apr. 1–26 plus May 2 above Bonneville. Limit 2 adults, only 1 an adult hatchery Chinook. WDFW says springers usually don't arrive in big numbers until late March or April. The Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis also get spring Chinook.[9][38]
Blackmouth (resident Chinook)Puget Sound's winter Chinook, usually fished in winter and early spring and found near the bottom in 60–200 feet of water. South Puget Sound (Area 13) gives off-season chances. Area 10 is closed Nov. 16–Mar. 30, then open Wednesday–Saturday Mar. 31–Apr. 30 (1 hatchery Chinook).[29][30][10]
Summer/fall ChinookBuoy 10 usually opens in early August and peaks around the third and fourth week of the month. Willapa Bay can be good in August and peaks in early September. 2026 ocean Area 2: June 20–Sept. 30, but Chinook closed Aug. 22. Puget Sound openers are short and set each year (Area 10 was July 23–25, 2026).[7][8][11][10]
Coho salmonThe front of the 2026 coho run reached inner marine waters in August. Westport Boat Basin coho are best September through October. Puget Sound Areas 10 and 11 are open to coho through Nov. 15 in 2026. Willapa Bay and the boat basins stay open to Jan. 31. Resident coho in Area 10 open in early to mid-June.[31][8][10][11][6]
Sockeye salmon2026: Baker Lake July 11–Aug. 31. Lower Columbia retention June 27–July 5. Upper Columbia did not open July 1. Washington sockeye run to Lake Washington, Baker, Ozette, Quinault and Wenatchee.[8][39]
Pink salmon (odd years)Washington pinks run only in odd-numbered years, so there's no run in 2026 and the next is 2027. WDFW calls August prime time, with Puget Sound returns usually peaking in mid-August (late August to early September in South Sound). Many pinks move into rivers in late August.[18][19]
Chum salmonA fall fish found in almost every small coastal stream. 2026 marine retention: Areas 10 and 11 Oct. 1–Nov. 15, and Area 12 (Hood Canal) Oct. 16–Nov. 30. Chum must be released in ocean Areas 3 and 4.[32][8][10]
Winter steelhead2025-26 coastal season: most major rivers Dec. 1–Mar. 31. The Humptulips closed Feb. 2 and the Chehalis Feb. 16. 2 hatchery steelhead a day. Release all wild steelhead, rainbow and cutthroat, and don't lift wild steelhead fully out of the water. Winter runs spawn close to the ocean.[25][26][4]
Summer steelheadSummer runs are mostly east of the Cascades. They enter rivers in summer and spawn the following spring. Release all wild steelhead (2 hatchery a day, 20-inch minimum). The 2026 Columbia upriver forecast is poor and retention is conservative. Columbia hatchery steelhead retention opened June 16.[26][4][33]
Saltwater & shellfish
Pacific halibut2026 Puget Sound (Areas 5–10): Apr. 2–June 30 and Aug. 16–Sept. 30. South Coast (Area 2): set days Apr. 30–June 30, then Aug. 8–Sept. 30. North Coast: set days Apr. 30–June 28, then Aug. 16–Sept. 30. Columbia (Area 1): Apr. 30–June 28 days, then Aug. 8–Sept. 30. 1 a day, 6 a year, closes early if the quota is caught.[13][14][15][16]
Lingcod2026 coast: Mar. 14–Oct. 17, 2 a day, with deep-water limits at some times. Puget Sound (most areas): May 1–June 15 only, 1 a day, 26–36 inches. Hood Canal is closed. Jetty fishing for lingcod is quite good in spring and early summer.[14][10][6][36]
Black rockfish2026 coast (Areas 1–4): Mar. 14–Oct. 17, 7 rockfish a day (5 canary). Area 4 east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line is open year-round. Yelloweye can never be kept, and copper, quillback and vermilion are banned May–July. Rockfish are closed all year in Puget Sound (Areas 6–13).[14][17][12][21]
Albacore tunaWDFW says albacore are available off Ilwaco in late summer and early fall. Ocean trips are hazardous, so a local guide is recommended. No daily limit for albacore.[27][12][40]
Redtail surfperchOpen year-round from coastal beaches, even during the winter bottomfish closure. Limit 12 surfperch a day (15 shiner perch). Fish within 2 hours of high or low tide near troughs and creek mouths.[22][11]
Dungeness crabThe coast is open year-round, with pots allowed Dec. 1–Sept. 15 (other gear year-round). Limit 6 males, 6¼-inch minimum. Puget Sound has a summer season (July to Labor Day) and a winter season (after Labor Day to Dec. 31) where quota allows, and is closed other months. Puget Sound crabbers need an endorsement and a catch card.[23][21][7]
Razor clamDigs are set beach by beach on low tides. WDFW aims to offer digs each month from October to May, and every dig depends on marine-toxin tests. Fall 2026: Copalis and Mocrocks Oct. 26–29. Long Beach and Twin Harbors are closed for domoic acid. You must keep the first 15 clams dug.[24]
Market squidSquid jigging from Puget Sound piers at night, mostly on a flood tide. WDFW says squid show up in September–October, but prime time is December through January.[7]

Never keep: In Washington you may never fish for or keep green sturgeon, yelloweye rockfish, eulachon (Columbia River smelt), sixgill, sevengill or thresher sharks, or Pacific, western brook or river lamprey. Rockfish are closed all year in Puget Sound (Areas 6–13), and Dolly Varden/bull trout and grass carp are closed unless a special rule opens them.[4][12]

Bait & rig for each fish

Rainbow trout (lowland lakes)

Bait: Salmon roe and nightcrawlers where bait is legal.

Lures: Beads that look like salmon eggs, flesh flies, sculpin and leech streamers, small spinners and spoons.

Leader: 3X–5X tippet (4–8 lb), 7½–9 ft.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Kokanee

Bait: Sockeye eat plankton and rarely take bait. Where bait is allowed, a small piece of yarn or a bead is used, not to feed the fish but to make a visible hook.

Lures: Coho flies, Russian River flies and small sparse flies; small spoons and spinners in lakes and saltwater.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Walleye

Bait: Live minnows, leeches and nightcrawlers.

Lures: Jigs tipped with a minnow, spinner rigs ('crawler harnesses'), crankbaits and blade baits.

Leader: 6–10 lb fluorocarbon.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Smallmouth bass

Bait: Live crayfish, leeches and minnows.

Lures: Tubes, drop-shot plastics, ned rigs, jerkbaits, crankbaits and small topwaters.

Leader: 6–10 lb fluorocarbon.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Largemouth bass

Bait: Live wild shiners.

Lures: Plastic worms, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater frogs and crankbaits.

Rig: Float rig, Carolina/bottom rig, jig head or simple lure setup depending on depth and species.

Leader: Often 6–15 lb mono/fluoro; heavier leader is useful around abrasive cover or toothy fish.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

White sturgeon

Bait: Ghost shrimp, grass shrimp, mud shrimp, eel, herring and anchovies.

Lures: Almost always caught on bait.

Leader: 60–80 lb mono.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Spring Chinook (Columbia)

Bait: Whole or cut-plug herring and anchovies.

Lures: Hoochies and spoons behind a flasher, spinners and plugs in the rivers.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Coho salmon

Bait: Herring and anchovies.

Lures: Hoochies, spoons and bucktail flies trolled fast near the surface; spinners in the rivers.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Pink salmon (odd years)

Bait: Rarely needed; small pieces of herring or shrimp in saltwater.

Lures: Pink lures, really: pink spoons, pink spinners, pink buzz bombs, pink flies and small pink hoochies.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Chum salmon

Bait: Cured salmon eggs and shrimp where bait is legal.

Lures: Chartreuse, pink and purple flies, spoons, spinners and jigs under a float.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 4–6 ft behind a flasher.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Pacific halibut

Bait: Herring, squid, octopus and salmon bellies on a spreader bar or circle hook.

Lures: Big jigs and leadheads with large grubs, tipped with bait.

Leader: 20–30 lb fluorocarbon, 3 ft.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Lingcod

Bait: Live rockfish, sanddabs or greenling (where legal), herring and big squid.

Lures: Heavy swimbaits and jig heads, leadhead jigs with a big grub, and metal jigs.

Leader: 30–50 lb mono.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Black rockfish

Bait: Herring strips, squid and shrimp.

Lures: Shrimp flies, swimbaits, small jigs and even flies and topwater when they're up shallow.

Leader: 30–50 lb mono.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Albacore tuna

Bait: Common starting baits are ballyhoo, sardines, flying fish, squid strips or other locally abundant forage matched to size.

Lures: Trolling heads, feathers, plugs, spoons and metal jigs are common; match lure size and color to local forage.

Rig: Use a clean trolling or live-bait rig with minimal hardware, a strong swivel where needed and a leader long enough to protect against abrasion.

Leader: 40–100 lb mono/fluorocarbon is a common starting range; toothy species may need heavier abrasion-resistant or wire bite protection.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Dungeness crab

Bait: Chicken, turkey legs, fish carcasses, clams and squid in a bait cage.

Lures: Crab rings, pots and crab snares.

Leader: Not used.

Full guide, knots & rigs →

Local fishing reports — what’s biting now

Sources

  1. WDFW – Banks Lake (fishing prospects calendar)
  2. WDFW – Lake Washington (fishing prospects calendar)
  3. WDFW – Lake Chelan
  4. 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules – Statewide freshwater species rules
  5. 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules – Statewide freshwater regulations
  6. WDFW – Washington fishing planner, part one (Jan–Jun)
  7. WDFW – Washington fishing planner, part two (Jul–Dec)
  8. WDFW – The Salmon Fishing Current: summer and fall 2026 edition
  9. WDFW – 2026 Columbia River spring Chinook seasons announced
  10. 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules – Marine Area 10
  11. 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules – Marine Area 2
  12. 2026-27 Washington Sport Fishing Rules – Marine area rules & definitions
  13. WDFW – Puget Sound halibut seasons (2026)
  14. WDFW – South Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons (2026)
  15. WDFW – North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons (2026)
  16. WDFW – Columbia River halibut and bottomfish seasons (2026)
  17. WDFW – Recreational bottomfish and halibut fisheries
  18. WDFW – August is prime time for Puget Sound pink salmon
  19. WDFW – Pink salmon species page
  20. WDFW – Columbia River shad run tops 1.5 million
  21. WDFW – Life Outdoors: Coastal Washington
  22. MyWDFW – Fishing highlights, September 2026 (surfperch)
  23. WDFW – Crab seasons and areas
  24. WDFW – Razor clam seasons and beaches
  25. WDFW – 2025-26 coastal steelhead regulations announced
  26. WDFW – Steelhead species page
  27. WDFW – Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco)
  28. WDFW – The 411 on sea-run cutthroats
  29. WDFW – Salmon fishing in marine areas (blackmouth)
  30. WDFW – Marine Area 13 (South Puget Sound)
  31. WDFW – Life Outdoors Report (statewide, fall 2026)
  32. WDFW – Chum salmon species page
  33. ODFW/WDFW joint – Columbia River 2026 summer/fall salmon and steelhead seasons
  34. ODFW/WDFW joint – Sturgeon retention closes in John Day Pool after Jan. 9 (2026)
  35. ODFW/WDFW joint – Sturgeon retention opens one day Feb. 16 (2026)
  36. WDFW – Marine Area 2 (Westport–Ocean Shores)
  37. Banks Lake Bass - Game & Fish Magazine
  38. Seasonal Opportunities - MyODFW (Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife)
  39. Sockeye: Ups, Downs, and Optimism Amid a Downturn - Northwest Power and Conservation Council
  40. Top Albacore Fishing Tips - Game & Fish Magazine

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every month on this calendar comes from the sources above. Empty boxes mean no official source gives those months. Rules change — check the agency page before you keep a fish.

On the bay, in the mangroves or on the ocean, the everyday struggles get left at the dock — for those few hours it’s just you, the water and peace.