This is the Official Washington Fishing regulations and Information navigation page for the Washington state rules and regulations guidebook overviews.
You can access each individual state regulation guidebook by clicking the links below.
These are just the overviews of the official state regulations.
The Actual state Washington Fishing regulation guidebooks are accessible by clicking on the state you would like to see from the home page map then clicking on the Washington state fishing regulations books.
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Enjoy be safe and have a great time exploring the site and remember to check back often to keep updated on all the new laws, rules, and Washington regulations pertaining to the hunting, fishing, trapping, and wildlife sports.
Weather its Washington Trout fishing, Washington bass fishing, Washington striper fishing, Washington Salmon fishing, Washington Catfish fishing, Washington steelhead fishing, Washington Panfish fishing, Washington pike/muskie fishing, Washington Walleye fishing, Washington saltwater fishing, Washington marlin fishing, Washington tarpon fishing,  Washington tuna fishing, we have the Washington state fishing regulations for your trip into the wilderness or on the water covered in one easy to location.
If you need Washington fishing maps, Washington state fishing maps, or just some Washington fishing reports to tell you were the bite is hot we have that too.

 

Washington Fishing Report

If you’re planning a fishing trip to Washington, you have some excellent choices for lakes and streams throughout the state including Alder Lake, Baker Lake, Banks Lake, Cle Elum Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, John Day Lake, Kachess Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Chelan, Lake Crescent, Lake Herbert G West, Lake Merwin, Lake Ozette, Lake Sacajawea, Lake Sammamish, Lake Wallula, Lake Washington, Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Moses Lake, Omak Lake, Osoyoos Lake, Palmer Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Riffe Lake, Rimrock Lake, Ross Lake, Spirit Lake, Swift Reservoir, Vancouver Lake, Wanapum Lake, Yale Lake and others. Many of the lakes in Washington have camping facilities as well as other accommodations nearby. Washington is well known for excellent Bass, Salmon and Trout fishing. Additionally, in waters around the state you’ll find populations of Walleye, Crappie, Catfish, Tiger Musky, Northern Pike, Sturgeon and sunfish including Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Warmouth, Yellow Perch which are plentiful in some waters.

Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass
Fishing in Washington.

Bass are one of the most sought after of all the game fish. Its appeal spans cultures, age groups and genders to tap on the heart strings of anglers everywhere. Join us in our endeavor to offer information about bass fishing on your favorite bass lake in the Washington area.

Bass Fishing Lakes In Washington

Alder Lake, Banks Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Chelan, Lake Ozette, Lake Sacajawea, Lake Sammamish, Lake Umatilla (John Day), Lake Wallula (McNary), Lake Washington, Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Osoyoos Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Riffe Lake, Spirit Lake, Vancouver Lake and Wanapum Lake are some of the major lakes in Washington with healthy populations of bass. Bass can also be found throught the state in ponds, creeks, parks, rivers and small lakes. The Columbia River has a quite significant bass population.

The Washington state record largemouth bass was taken out of Banks Lake and the state record smallmouth bass was caught from the Columbia River - Hanford.

Trout Fishing in Washington State

The 5 primary trouts are the rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat and lake trout. Brown trout are considered the most difficult to catch and brookies are the easiest. Pure cold water is key to survival of the trouts and the brook trout is the most sensitive to temperature. The others are comfortable in slightly warmer waters.

Trout Fishing Lakes In Washington

Washington sports some excellent trout fishing in many streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. The major lakes with healthy populations of trout include Alder Lake, Baker Lake, Banks Lake, Cle Elum Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Kachess Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Chelan, Lake Crescent, Lake Herbert G West, Lake Merwin, Lake Ozette, Lake Sacajawea, Lake Sammamish, Lake Washington, Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Moses Lake, Omak Lake, Osoyoos Lake, Palmer Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Riffe Lake, Rimrock Lake, Ross Lake, Spirit Lake, Swift Reservoir, Wanapum Lake and Yale Lake. Visit the Washington Division of Fish & Wildlife for information on trout stocking schedules for Washington.

The Washington state record brook trout was taken out of Wobbly Lake and the state record brown trout was caught from Sullivan Lake . The Tieton River produced the WA state record bull trout and Crescent Lake produced the Washington state record cutthroat trout. The Washington state record dolly varden trout came from White Chuck River and Omak Lake was home to the state record lahontan trout. Lake Chelan gave up the state record lake trout and the state record rainbow was pulled out of Rufus Woods Lake. The Snake River served up the state record steelhead trout.

Salmon Fishing in Washington State

Salmon Fishing Lakes In Washington

Washington is in the heart of thge Pacific Northwest salmon fishing haven. Plenty of quality salmon abound in the coastal and inland waters of the state. The major rivers flowing into the Pacific are migration routes for salmon spawning. Many of the major lakes in the state have excellent populations of salmon. These major lakes include Alder Lake, Baker Lake, Banks Lake, Cle Elum Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Kachess Lake, Lake Chelan, Lake Crescent, Lake Herbert G West, Lake Merwin, Lake Ozette, Lake Washington, Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Palmer Lake, Riffe Lake, Rimrock Lake, Wanapum Lake and Yale Lake.

The Washington state record atlantic salmon was taken out of Green River and the state record chinook salmon (king salmon) was caught from Elochoman River. Satsop River produced the WA state record chum salmon and the Quinault River produced the Washington state record coho salmon. Lake Roosevelt served up the state record kokanee salmon. The Washington state record pink (humpback) salmon was taken from the Skykomish River. The WA state record sockeye salmon was taken out of Lake Washington.

 

Walleye Fishing in Washington

Walleye Fishing Lakes In Washington

Banks Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Crescent, Lake Umatilla (John Day), Lake Wallula (McNary), Moses Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Spirit Lake and Wanapum Lake are some of the major lakes in Washington with healthy populations of walleye. Some rivers, especially those running into and out of major lakes with walleye, are also possibilities for walleye. The Washington state record walleye was caught from the Columbia River - John Day pool.

Crappie Fishing in Washington

Crappie are actually a member of the sunfish family and can be found in all the continental states. They are known by many different names, typically based on geographic location. Paper mouth, goggleye, bridge perch and speckled perch, just to name a few.

Crappie Fishing Lakes In Washington

Washington has somewhat limited crappie fishing. There are healthy schools in a few majo lakes including Alder Lake, Banks Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Lake Umatilla (John Day), Lake Wallula (McNary), Palmer Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Riffe Lake, Spirit Lake and Vancouver Lake. Crappie can also be found in parks, ponds, rivers and small lakes across the state.

The Washington state record black crappie was taken out of Lake Washington and the state record white crappie was caught from the Columbia River - Burbank Slough.

Catfish Fishing in Washington

There are many species of catfish and even more ways to catch them. Adults range in size from less than a pound to hundreds of pounds. They can be found in all types of water including ponds, streams, lakes and rivers. There are even species which spend a limited amount of time on dry land. Big giant catfish put up a very noble fight once hooked.

Catfish Fishing Lakes In Washington

The Columbia and Snake Rivers are notorious for big catfish. Most rivers in WA are likely to contain at least a few catfish. They will also be found in some ponds, parks, small lakes and of course some of the major lakes in Washington. These major lakes include Alder Lake, Banks Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Chelan, Lake Sammamish, Lake Umatilla (John Day), Lake Wallula (McNary), Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Palmer Lake, Riffe Lake, pirit Lake, Vancouver Lake and Wanapum Lake.

The Washington state record blue catfish was taken out of the Columbia River and the state record channel catfish was caught from the I-82 Pond No. 6 . The Snake River produced the WA state record flathead catfish.

Sunfish Fishing in Washington for Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Warmouth, Yellow Perch and Other WA Panfish.

One or more species of sunfish populate virtually all warm water streams, ponds and lakes throughout Washington and around the world for that matter. They can survive in waters that provide their natural food source of minnows, crustaceans, insects and worms. Their competitive nature amongst themselves for food, makes them relatively easy to catch.

Sunfish Lakes In Washington

Panfish are somewhere in the middle of the food chain in most fishing waters. Most predator fish delight in a nice sunfish for dinner. And, in the warmer waters they are pretty much everywhere. You can find them in ponds, parks, small lakes and rivers. The Columbia River has a nice population of panfish. They also populate many of the major lakes including Alder Lake, Banks Lake, East Rapids Lake, Franklin D Roosevelt Lake, Lake Bryan, Lake Chelan, Lake Ozette, Lake Sacajawea, Lake Sammamish, Lake Umatilla (John Day), Lake Wallula (McNary), Lake Washington, Lake Whatcom, Mayfield Lake, Osoyoos Lake, Palmer Lake, Potholes Reservoir, Riffe Lake, Spirit Lake, Vancouver Lake and Wanapum Lake.

The Washington state record bluegill subfish was taken out of Tampico Park Pond and the state record green sunfish was caught from Bailey Lake. Hicks Lake produced the WA state record pumpkinseed sunfish and Snelsons Slough produced the Washington state record yellow perch.

Fishing for Tiger Musky, Northern Pike, Sturgeon in Washington.

Tiger Musky - Muskellunge
Esox lucius ~ Esox masquinongy
USA Record: 51.2 lbs.
The tiger muskellunge is a cross of the musky and northern pike. Male Tiger Muskellunge are most often sterile yet some females are fertile. Tiger muskies tend to be smaller than non-hybrid muskies but grow very fast. The body is often quite silvery with brownish fins and tail, without spots but displays broken vertical markings. Like their parent, they eat any fish they can catch and prefer to ambush their prey. They also eat crayfish, frogs and birds. Use large lures and stout line when fishing for tiger muskellunge. They will hit lures and fresh cut bait. They are known for their speed and are exceptionally strong for short runs.

Northern Pike
Esox Lucius
IFGA Record: 55.1 lbs
The northern pike is a valient fighter and prefers water temperatures from 58 to 70 degrees. Also known as jack, jackfish, great northern pike and pickerel. While they have been transplanted into most states with cold water, they are native to the northern states and are abundant in the north-eastern states. Northern pike are basically olive in color with white and/or yellow bellies. The northern pike has light-colored marking on a dark body whish is opposite that of their cousins the muskies.They are an ambushing predator that eats frogs, crayfish, birds and virtually any fish they can get into their mouth. Use spinners, fish-immitating lures, jerk-baits or cutbait and fish close to cover.

Sturgeon
Sturgeon have been captured weighing over 2,000 lbs at length in excess of 18 feet. They have been reported by divers to exist on the Columbia River up to 30-foot long. They are a prehistoric fish and have an exceptionally long life for a fish, commonly reaching sexual maturity at the age of 120 years. They are not sought for their meat, it's their egg roe which is made into caviar. They are found in major rivers feeding into the ocean and can be caught with cut bait, giant hooks, heavy weights and stout line. The larger ones can fight an angler for days and not tire out.

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