Can I Keep?Washington Saltwater Fishing Regulations (2026)
Recreational size limits, bag limits and seasons for 15 saltwater species in Washington, from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Last checked November 7, 2026. Where a species has several rules (by area or water), the table shows the first; open the species for all of them.
Check what's open at your harbor today
Official Washington regulations · Saltwater fishing license
Inshore
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surfperch (3 rules) | No minimum size. | 12 per person | Open year-round. |
Groundfish & flatfish
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottomfish (4 rules) | — | 9 per person | Recreational bottomfish is open from the second Saturday in March… |
| Cabezon (4 rules) | No minimum size. | Daily limit is one. | Open March 14 through Oct. 17, 2026. |
| Lingcod (4 rules) | no minimum size, the daily bag limit is two per angler. | no minimum size, the daily bag limit is two per angler. | Open March 14 through Oct. 17, 2026; |
| Pacific halibut (4 rules) | In all marine areas open to halibut fishing, there is a one-fish… | 1 per person | April 2 through June 30, seven days per week.; August 16 through… |
| Rockfish (4 rules) | No minimum size. | Daily limit is seven. The sublimit for canary rockfish is five. | Open March 14 through Oct. 17, 2026. |
| Wolf-eel | — | — | Closed to retention. |
Salmon & trout
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinook salmon (5 rules) | Chinook minimum size 22 inches. | Daily limit two, including no more than one Chinook. | Effective June 20 – Sept. 30, 2026. Daily limit two, including no… |
| Coho salmon — hatchery only (fin-clipped) (5 rules) | Coho minimum size 16 inches. | Daily limit two, including no more than one Chinook. | Effective June 20 – Sept. 30, 2026. Daily limit two, including no… |
Crabs, lobster & shrimp
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dungeness crab (21 rules) | Min. size 6" | Six males | Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots… |
| Red Rock crab (21 rules) | Min. size 5" | Six crab of either sex | Crab Pots: Open 1 Dec. through 15 Sept. Crab gear other than pots… |
| Shrimp (19 rules) | No minimum carapace size. | Daily limit of 25 pounds, heads and tails, of all shrimp species… | Open all year |
| Tanner crab (14 rules) | Min. size 4.5" | Six crab of either sex | Open daily from October 1 through December 31. |
Clams, oysters & scallops
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Razor clam (3 rules) | — | 15 per person | Tentative digging dates: Nov. 7, Saturday, 5:06 p.m.; -0.2 feet… |
Other species
| Species | Size limit | Bag limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sixgill, Sevengill, and Thresher sharks (3 rules) | — | — | Closed to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. |