Washington summer fishing seasons are now in full swing, requiring anglers to make some tough decisions about how to spend their time on the water.
Scores of lakes and streams throughout the state are open for trout and other species, while salmon fisheries are underway in Washington’s ocean waters and several marine areas of Puget Sound.
Here’s a rundown of some of this month’s fishing opportunities:
- Ocean salmon: Marine areas 1 (Ilwaco), 2 (Westport), 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay) are all open for salmon fishing in July.
- Puget Sound salmon: Several areas of Puget Sound opened for salmon fishing July 1, including marine areas 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca), 7 (San Juan Islands), 10 (Seattle/Bremerton) and a portion of 12 (Hood Canal).
- Hanford Reach sockeye: The Columbia River is open to fishing for sockeye salmon from the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco upstream to Priest Rapids Dam.
- Puget Sound crab: All but one marine area in Puget Sound are open for crab fishing as of July 1. The exception is Marine Area 7, where the crab fishery opens July 15 in the area’s southern portion (San Juan Islands/Bellingham) and Aug. 17 in the northern portion (Gulf of Georgia).
Regulations for fisheries are described in the 2017-18 sport fishing rules pamphlet, available from sporting goods stores and posted online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/
For more information about fishing and wildlife viewing available this month, see the Weekender Regional Reportsposted on WDFW’s website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/weekender/. These reports are updated throughout the month to provide up-to-date information about recreational opportunities around the state.