The Washington fishing regulations are more complex than many states because of anadramous salmon and steelhead populations. Each river with these fish will have different rules. Otherwise, everything is straightforward and regionally divided for common species limits.
Buy a LicenseWashington Fishing License Costs
| Angling License Fees | Resident | Nonresident | Resident Senior (70+) | Youth (15 and under) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Freshwater | $29.50 | $84.50 | $7.50 | — |
| Annual Saltwater | $30.05 | $59.75 | $8.05 | — |
| Annual Shellfish/Seaweed | $17.40 | $36.10 | $7.50 | — |
| Annual Combo Fishing/Shellfish | $55.35 | $124.65 | —- | $8.05 |
| 1 Day FW/SW/Shellfish | $11.35 | $20.15 | $11.35 | — |
| 1 Day FW/SW/Shellfish – Active Duty Military | — | $11.35 | — | — |
| 2 Day FW/SW/Shellfish | $15.75 | $28.95 | $15.75 | — |
| 2 Day FW/SW/Shellfish – Active Duty Military | — | $15.75 | — | — |
| 3 Day FW/SW/Shellfish | $19.05 | $35.55 | $19.05 | — |
| 3 Day FW/SW/Shellfish – Active Duty Military | — | $19.05 | — | — |
| Two-Pole Endorsement | $14.80 | $14.80 | $6.00 | $14.80 |
| Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement | $8.75 | $8.75 | $7.10 | — |
Defining Disabled Hunters and Fishers
Upon approved disability application, combination fishing and hunting licenses shall be issued at a reduced or Resident rate for the following individuals:
- A resident sixty-five years old or older who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces having a service-connected disability;
- A resident who is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States armed forces with a thirty percent or more service-connected disability;
- A resident with a disability who permanently uses a wheelchair;
- A resident who is blind or visually impaired; and
- A resident with a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020 with documentation of the disability certified by a physician licensed to practice in this state.
- A Non Resident who qualify under 1 and 2 above as a Disabled Veteran shall be issued a combination fishing license and/or any hunting license at the same cost charged to a nondisabled Washington resident for the same license.
Gray’s Harbor Regulations
General Limits:
| Species | Daily Limits |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5 total. 1 over 17 inches. All others under 12 inches. |
| Smallmouth Bass | 10 total. 1 over 14 inches. All others under 14 inches. |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 1 total. Minimum 50 inches. |
| Walleye | 15 total. |
| Whitefish | 15 total. |
| Trout (rainbow, brown, golden, tiger, cutthroat, lake trout and kokanee) | 2 total. 8 inch minimum |
| Brook Trout | 5 total. Maximum of 5 trout including brook trout. |
| Steelhead | 2 total. Minimum 20 inches. Hatchery Only. See special regulations for each river. |
| Salmon | Possession limit – 2 daily limits in fresh form. An additional 40 pounds of SALMON may be possessed in frozen or processed form. |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam including tributaries, and Snake River upstream to Ice Harbor Dam | Min. size 38″ fork length in waters downstream of The Dalles Dam, and min. size 43″ fork length in waters upstream of The Dalles Dam. Max. size 54″ fork length. Daily limit 1. Possession limit: 2 daily limits. Annual limit 2 STURGEON statewide per license year (April 1-March 31). Unless specifically noted in special rules, open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream, and from Priest Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, Snake River from Ice Harbor Dam upstream, coastal, and Puget Sound waters including their tributaries | Catch-and-release ONLY. Open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons unless specifically noted in special rules |
| Other General Regulations for Washington |
|---|
| SALMON and TROUT HANDLING RULES FRESHWATER: �It is unlawful to totally remove salmon, steelhead, or Dolly Varden/Bull Trout from the water if it is unlawful to retain those fish, or if the angler subsequently releases the salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden/Bull Trout.� |
Columbia Basin Fishing Regulations
General Limits:
See below for exceptions.
| Species | Daily Limits |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5 total. 1 over 17 inches. All others under 12 inches. |
| Smallmouth Bass | 10 total. 1 over 14 inches. All others under 14 inches. |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 1 total. Minimum 50 inches. |
| Walleye | 15 total. |
| Whitefish | 15 total. |
| Trout (rainbow, brown, golden, tiger, cutthroat, lake trout and kokanee) | 2 total. 8 inch minimum |
| Brook Trout | 5 total. Maximum of 5 trout including brook trout. |
| Steelhead | 2 total. Minimum 20 inches. Hatchery Only. See special regulations for each river. |
| Salmon | Possession limit – 2 daily limits in fresh form. An additional 40 pounds of SALMON may be possessed in frozen or processed form. |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam including tributaries, and Snake River upstream to Ice Harbor Dam | Min. size 38″ fork length in waters downstream of The Dalles Dam, and min. size 43″ fork length in waters upstream of The Dalles Dam. Max. size 54″ fork length. Daily limit 1. Possession limit: 2 daily limits. Annual limit 2 STURGEON statewide per license year (April 1-March 31). Unless specifically noted in special rules, open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream, and from Priest Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, Snake River from Ice Harbor Dam upstream, coastal, and Puget Sound waters including their tributaries | Catch-and-release ONLY. Open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons unless specifically noted in special rules |
| Other General Regulations for Washington |
|---|
| SALMON and TROUT HANDLING RULES FRESHWATER: �It is unlawful to totally remove salmon, steelhead, or Dolly Varden/Bull Trout from the water if it is unlawful to retain those fish, or if the angler subsequently releases the salmon, steelhead, Dolly Varden/Bull Trout.� |
Special Regulations: Columbia River
Where the river coincides with the boundary between Washington and Oregon, the license of either state is valid. Anglers must comply with the laws of the state in which they are fishing. An angler licensed only in Oregon may not fish on the Washington shore or in Washington sloughs or tributaries, except Camas Slough, where the license of either state is valid from a floating device. An angler fishing the Columbia River is restricted to one daily limit even if licensed by both states.
SALMON and STEELHEAD anglers may not possess in the field, fish mutilated so that size, species or fin clip cannot be determined, until the angler has reached their automobile or principle means of land transportation and has completed their daily angling. Anglers may fish with either a saltwater, freshwater, or combination license in the waters of the Columbia River between a line from Rocky Point, on the Washington shore, to Tongue Point, on the Oregon shore, and the Buoy 10 line described below.
For STURGEON rules in the Columbia River tributaries, see rules for adjoining mainstem waters. For bottomfish and forage fish rules, Marine Area 1 General Rules apply. Salmon and trout handling rules apply (see page 13), except from Feb. 15-June 15 in the mainstem Columbia from the Rocky Point/Tongue Point line upstream to Hwy. 730 OR/WA border the rules apply only when fishing from vessels less than 30 feet in length. Aug. 1-Dec. 31: from Buoy 10 to OR/WA border: each angler aboard a vessel may deploy SALMON/STEEHEAD angling gear until the daily SALMON/STEELHEAD limit for all anglers aboard has been achieved. CLOSED – to fishing for Columbia River SMELT (eulachon).
Puget Sound Fishing Regulations
General Limits:
| Species | Daily Limits |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5 total. 1 over 17 inches. All others under 12 inches. |
| Smallmouth Bass | 10 total. 1 over 14 inches. All others under 14 inches. |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 1 total. Minimum 50 inches. |
| Walleye | 15 total. |
| Whitefish | 15 total. |
| Trout (rainbow, brown, golden, tiger, cutthroat, lake trout and kokanee) | 2 total. 8 inch minimum |
| Brook Trout | 5 total. Maximum of 5 trout including brook trout. |
| Steelhead | 2 total. Minimum 20 inches. Hatchery Only. See special regulations for each river. |
| Salmon | Possession limit – 2 daily limits in fresh form. An additional 40 pounds of SALMON may be possessed in frozen or processed form. |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam including tributaries, and Snake River upstream to Ice Harbor Dam | Min. size 38″ fork length in waters downstream of The Dalles Dam, and min. size 43″ fork length in waters upstream of The Dalles Dam. Max. size 54″ fork length. Daily limit 1. Possession limit: 2 daily limits. Annual limit 2 STURGEON statewide per license year (April 1-March 31). Unless specifically noted in special rules, open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream, and from Priest Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, Snake River from Ice Harbor Dam upstream, coastal, and Puget Sound waters including their tributaries | Catch-and-release ONLY. Open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons unless specifically noted in special rules |
North Coast Fishing Regulations
General Limits:
| Species | Daily Limits |
|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | 5 total. 1 over 17 inches. All others under 12 inches. |
| Smallmouth Bass | 10 total. 1 over 14 inches. All others under 14 inches. |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 1 total. Minimum 50 inches. |
| Walleye | 15 total. |
| Whitefish | 15 total. |
| Trout (rainbow, brown, golden, tiger, cutthroat, lake trout and kokanee) | 2 total. 8 inch minimum |
| Brook Trout | 5 total. Maximum of 5 trout including brook trout. |
| Steelhead | 2 total. Minimum 20 inches. Hatchery Only. See special regulations for each river. |
| Salmon | Possession limit – 2 daily limits in fresh form. An additional 40 pounds of SALMON may be possessed in frozen or processed form. |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam including tributaries, and Snake River upstream to Ice Harbor Dam | Min. size 38″ fork length in waters downstream of The Dalles Dam, and min. size 43″ fork length in waters upstream of The Dalles Dam. Max. size 54″ fork length. Daily limit 1. Possession limit: 2 daily limits. Annual limit 2 STURGEON statewide per license year (April 1-March 31). Unless specifically noted in special rules, open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons |
| WHITE STURGEON – Columbia River from Bonneville Dam downstream, and from Priest Rapids Dam to Chief Joseph Dam, Snake River from Ice Harbor Dam upstream, coastal, and Puget Sound waters including their tributaries | Catch-and-release ONLY. Open only during open Game Fish or SALMON seasons unless specifically noted in special rules |
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