Island Spear Co.

Regulations Washington

Spearfishing Regulations in Washington

Checked against the primary source (WDFW) on July 5, 2026state

Governing agency: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). Last verified July 5, 2026 by independent primary-source check.

Summary

Spearfishing is legal in Washington's saltwater. State rule expressly allows taking food fish for personal use in saltwater with underwater spearfishing gear commonly used in skin diving, with salmon and sturgeon excluded 1. A WDFW fishing license (saltwater or combination for marine, freshwater for lakes/rivers) is required and actively enforced, with only anglers 15 and younger exempt (s2, s6). In freshwater, game fish may NOT be speared, gigged, or bowfished unless a Special Rule opens a specific water — game fish are hook-and-line only — while designated nongame/rough species may be speared or bowfished where allowed (s4, s7).

License

What you need to be legal

LegalA license is required
License
WDFW Saltwater, Freshwater, or Combination Fishing License (with Catch Record Card where required)
Who needs it
Anyone 16 or older spearfishing. A Saltwater or Combination license covers marine spearfishing; a Freshwater or Combination license covers freshwater. A Catch Record Card must also be in possession to target salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut, and each retained fish recorded before continuing to fish 5.
Resident cost
Saltwater $40.71; Freshwater $39.95; Combination $74.37 (resident, ages 16-69, effective Jan 1, 2026). Halibut Catch Record Card $5.50 if targeting halibut (s2, s5).
Non-resident cost
Saltwater $81.70; Freshwater $115.85; Combination $170.00 2.
Where to buy
Online at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, the MyWDFW / Fish Washington mobile apps, by phone at 360-902-2464, or from hundreds of license dealers statewide 2.

Exemptions

  • Anglers 15 years and younger do not need a fishing license (catch record cards may still be required for certain species) 2
  • WDFW Free Fishing Weekend (first weekend after the first Monday in June; June 6-7 in 2026) waives the license requirement for most species, BUT a license is still required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut, and all shellfish, and all catch-record-card, bag-limit, gear, and area rules still apply 6

The full story

The full story

Washington's license requirement is real and enforced — there is no law-vs-practice gap. WDFW actively issues Saltwater, Freshwater, and Combination licenses through its online system, mobile apps, and hundreds of dealers, and requires Catch Record Cards for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and halibut (s2, s5). Anyone 16 or older spearfishing needs the appropriate license.

The important nuance is saltwater vs. freshwater, not law vs. practice. In saltwater, spearfishing is broadly legal for food fish under WAC 220-310-130 — the state carves out only salmon and sturgeon, and layers on marine-area closures such as the Puget Sound rockfish ban in Areas 6-13 (s1, s3). In freshwater the default flips: the statewide gear rules make it unlawful to take game fish (and salmon, sturgeon, shad, shellfish) by spear, gig, or bow unless a Special Rule opens a specific water, so game fish are effectively hook-and-line only, while a standing statutory exception in WAC 220-310-120 lets a spear or bow take common carp anywhere in the state, and bullfrogs are commonly taken by gig or bow (s4, s7). Divers must verify the exact marine area or freshwater body in the current WDFW Sportfishing Rules, because seasons and closures shift year to year.

Where it's legal

Saltwater & freshwater

Saltwater

Legal

Legal. WAC 220-310-130 makes it lawful to take, fish for, and possess food fish taken for personal use in saltwater, EXCEPT salmon and sturgeon, using underwater spearfishing gear commonly used in the sport of skin diving 1. The diver must be swimming or floating in the water while spearfishing (not spearing from a boat, dock, or shore) 3. Marine method-of-take by species: halibut is hook-and-line and spearfishing only (and may be shot or harpooned while landing); bottomfish, tuna, and mackerel are hook-and-line, spearfishing, and bow-and-arrow only 3. Washington spans 13 marine areas across the Pacific coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the San Juan Islands 3.

Freshwater

Legal

Restricted. Under WAC 220-310-120 it is unlawful to spear, bow-fish, or otherwise take game fish (and salmon, sturgeon, shad, octopus, crab, and other shellfish) with spear, spearfishing gear, or bow and arrow, except as the department's rules allow — so freshwater game fish such as trout, bass, walleye, and catfish are hook-and-line only 4. The statute carves out standing exceptions: a spear or bow may be used to take common carp statewide, and underwater spearfishing for food fish is authorized in saltwater per WAC 220-310-130 (s1, s4). Any other freshwater spearing/gigging/bowfishing is closed by default and open only where a Special Rule names the water or species (s4, s7). Bullfrogs are commonly taken by gig or bow, but the governing provision was not confirmed in a primary source — see unverified. Confirm the specific water in the current WDFW Sportfishing Rules before spearing any freshwater.

Gear

What you can carry

Speargun
Allowed in saltwater for food fish other than salmon and sturgeon. Band (rubber) spearguns and pneumatic spearguns are standard, permitted gear for a diver in the water (s1, s3).
Pole spear
Allowed in saltwater under the same rule permitting underwater spearfishing gear commonly used in skin diving 1.
Hawaiian sling
Permitted in saltwater as underwater spearfishing gear used by a diver in the water; not separately restricted in the state rule 1. Not independently confirmed by name in a primary source — see unverified.
Spearfishing on SCUBA
Washington does not prohibit SCUBA for spearfishing; the rule requires the diver to be swimming or floating in the water and does not bar underwater breathing apparatus (s1, s3). Not independently confirmed by name in a primary source — see unverified.

Gear restrictions

  • Diver must be swimming or floating in the water while spearfishing — no spearing from boat, dock, or shore 3
  • Explosive- or bullet-tipped spears ('bang sticks') are prohibited (s3, s4)
  • Salmon and sturgeon may not be taken by spear anywhere in the state (s1, s4)

What you'll see

Target species

A field guide to the cold-water fish a spearo may actually encounter in Washington's saltwater — Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and the outer Pacific coast — with the regional nicknames divers here use. This is not exhaustive, and it is not a legality ruling. Washington's biggest spearfishing traps are the ROCKFISH split (legal to spear within bottomfish limits on the coast in Marine Areas 1-4, but all rockfish are closed in Puget Sound Marine Areas 6-13, and yelloweye is no-take statewide), the narrow Puget Sound lingcod spear season, and the fact that salmon and sturgeon may NEVER be taken by spear anywhere in the state. Always confirm the current WDFW marine-area rules, seasons and sizes before taking anything.

Lingcod

Ling

Ophiodon elongatus

Restricted — verify
reef60-100 cm, up to ~1.5 m / 35+ lb
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent eating — firm white flesh (sometimes tinted blue-green when raw, which is harmless and cooks out). No ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reefs, boulder fields, ledges and wrecks, often ambushing from a den; the signature Washington spear target. Not a true cod. Aggressive and territorial, which makes it approachable.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish, but SPEARFISHING has its own narrow window in Puget Sound (about May 21-Jun 15) with a 36 in MAXIMUM size and 1 per diver — separate from the longer hook-and-line season. Coastal Marine Areas 1-4 run a general bottomfish season (roughly Mar 14-Oct 17 in 2026, 2 lingcod/day). Seasons, sizes and areas shift yearly — verify the exact marine area.

Cabezon

Cabby?

Scorpaenichthys marmoratus

Restricted — verify
reef40-70 cm, up to ~99 cm / 25 lb
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent, dense white flesh (sometimes blue-green raw, harmless). WARNING: the ROE (eggs) are TOXIC — cabezon eggs contain dinogunellin, a poison that cooking does NOT destroy and for which there is no antidote. Eat the flesh, never the eggs.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reef, kelp and boulder structure; a large scaleless sculpin that sits tight and is often speared at close range. Guards egg nests in shallow water in winter/spring.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish and counts toward the bottomfish limit (coastal Marine Areas 1-4 allow 1 cabezon/day). Puget Sound limits and any size/season rules vary by marine area — verify the current WDFW rule where you dive.

Kelp Greenling

Hexagrammos decagrammus

Restricted — verify
reef25-45 cm, up to ~53 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Very good, clean white flesh; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Kelp beds, rocky reef and jetties in shallow water; males and females are strikingly different in colour. A common, approachable bottomfish target. Ambiguous nicknames like 'sea trout' or 'kelp cod' are deliberately omitted — see review notes.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish and counts toward the bottomfish aggregate. Marine-area limits and any greenling sub-limits vary — verify the current WDFW rule for your area.

Black Rockfish

Sea bass?Black bass?

Sebastes melanops

Restricted — verify
reef25-45 cm, up to ~63 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent eating; the most common coastal rockfish on the plate. No ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reefs, kelp and midwater over structure on the outer coast, often in schools. The market nicknames 'sea bass', 'black bass', 'black snapper' and 'rock cod' are all ambiguous and shared with unrelated fish — see review notes.
Legal status
Legal to spear ONLY on the coast (Marine Areas 1-4), where it falls within the 9-fish bottomfish daily aggregate that includes a 7-rockfish sub-limit (with a 5-fish canary rockfish sub-limit within it) in 2026 — no minimum size. ALL rockfish are CLOSED in Puget Sound Marine Areas 6-13 — no targeting, retention or possession. Verify the marine area and current sub-limits before spearing any rockfish.

Copper Rockfish

Copper

Sebastes caurinus

Restricted — verify
reef25-45 cm, up to ~66 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent eating; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reef and boulder structure, often solitary and holding tight to the bottom; a classic reef rockfish. Slow-growing and long-lived, so populations recover slowly.
Legal status
CLOSED in Puget Sound Marine Areas 6-13 (all rockfish). On the coast (Marine Areas 1-4), possession is PROHIBITED in May, June and July to meet federal quotas, and otherwise counts toward the bottomfish limit. Verify the marine area and month before spearing.

Quillback Rockfish

Sebastes maliger

Restricted — verify
reef25-40 cm, up to ~61 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent eating, but this is an overfished, extremely slow-growing fish (can live 90+ years) — take is heavily restricted and conservation-minded divers avoid it.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reef and rubble, tucked into crevices; mottled brown-and-yellow with tall dorsal spines. Highly vulnerable to fishing pressure.
Legal status
CLOSED in Puget Sound Marine Areas 6-13 (all rockfish). On the coast (Marine Areas 1-4), the stock was declared OVERFISHED (NOAA, Dec 2023) and possession is PROHIBITED in May, June and July. Verify the marine area and current coastwide status before spearing.

Yelloweye Rockfish

Red snapper (Pacific)?

Sebastes ruberrimus

Protected — do not take
bottomup to ~1 m / 90+ years old
Edibility & ciguatera
Do not take — protected. (Historically prized eating, which is exactly why it was overfished.)
Where you'll see it
Deep rocky reef, usually deeper than freedive range; bright orange-red with pale eyes. DANGER: the market/colloquial name 'red snapper' (or 'Pacific red snapper') is applied loosely to several Pacific rockfish AND to this protected species — never let that name convince you a yelloweye is a legal target. Identify by the fish, not the name.
Legal status
PROHIBITED — retention of yelloweye rockfish is unlawful in ALL Washington marine areas. The Puget Sound/Georgia Basin population is ESA-listed as threatened. Must be released; may not be taken by spear anywhere.

Bocaccio

Sebastes paucispinis

Protected — do not take
bottomup to ~91 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Do not take — protected in Puget Sound.
Where you'll see it
Deep rocky reef and midwater over structure; a large, elongate rockfish with a big mouth and jutting lower jaw. The Puget Sound population is critically depleted.
Legal status
PROHIBITED in Puget Sound — the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin population is ESA-listed as ENDANGERED, and all rockfish (including bocaccio) are closed in Marine Areas 6-13. Must be released. Verify status before targeting any rockfish coastwide.

Pacific Halibut

Barn door?

Hippoglossus stenolepis

Restricted — verify
bottommin ~32 in, commonly to ~1.5 m, giants over 2 m
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent, prized white flesh; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Sand, gravel and mud bottom near structure, often in deeper water than most freedivers reach. Large adults ('barn doors') are powerful — a difficult, specialised spear target.
Legal status
One of the few species that may legally be speared, and may also be shot or harpooned while being landed. Requires a Halibut Catch Record Card ($5.50) and each fish logged before continuing; the season is very short and set annually and differs by region (coast vs. Puget Sound). Verify the current open dates and quota before diving.

Pacific Cod

True codGray cod?

Gadus macrocephalus

Restricted — verify
bottom50-80 cm, up to ~1 m
Edibility & ciguatera
Very good, flaky white flesh; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Soft bottom and structure edges, usually in deeper, cooler water; a genuine cod (unlike lingcod). 'True cod' / 'gray cod' distinguish it from lingcod.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish where open. The Puget Sound stock is depleted and largely closed, while coastal Marine Areas 1-4 fold it into the bottomfish limit. Verify the marine area's current cod rule before targeting.

Redtail Surfperch

Pinkfin?

Amphistichus rhodoterus

Restricted — verify
nearshore25-40 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Good pan fish; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Sandy surf zone and open-coast beaches, feeding in the wave wash spring through fall; the largest and most-targeted Washington surfperch. Bears live young.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish (surfperches are included in the bottomfish definition). A daily surfperch limit applies and varies by area — verify the current WDFW rule.

Striped Seaperch

Striped perchBlue perch?

Embiotoca lateralis

Restricted — verify
reef20-38 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Good pan fish; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reef, jetties, pilings and kelp in Puget Sound and along the coast; brilliant orange-and-blue horizontal stripes. Bears live young.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish (surfperches are included in the bottomfish definition). A daily surfperch limit applies and varies by area — verify the current WDFW rule.

Pile Perch

White seaperch?

Rhacochilus vacca

Restricted — verify
reef20-44 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Good pan fish; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Pilings, jetties, docks and rocky structure, often at the base of pilings; silvery with a dark bar and a deeply forked tail. Bears live young.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish (surfperches are included in the bottomfish definition). A daily surfperch limit applies and varies by area — verify the current WDFW rule.

Starry Flounder

Platichthys stellatus

Restricted — verify
bottom30-55 cm, up to ~91 cm
Edibility & ciguatera
Good, mild white flesh; no ciguatera in these cold waters.
Where you'll see it
Sand and mud bottom, estuaries and river mouths; a flatfish with distinctive orange-and-black barred fins. Tolerates brackish water and comes shallow.
Legal status
Legal to spear as bottomfish (flounders and soles other than Pacific halibut are included in the bottomfish definition) and counts toward the bottomfish limit. Marine-area limits vary — verify the current WDFW rule.

Wolf-eel

Anarrhichthys ocellatus

Restricted — verify
reefup to ~2.4 m
Edibility & ciguatera
Excellent, firm white flesh (sometimes sold as 'sea whitefish'), but see legal/ethics note — most divers deliberately do not take them.
Where you'll see it
Rocky reef, dens and wreck crevices; not a true eel but an elongate wolffish that often forms long-term pair bonds and lives in the same den for years. Curious and famously tame, which is exactly why the spearfishing community discourages taking them.
Legal status
Included in the bottomfish definition and not separately prohibited, so legal to spear within the bottomfish limit — but it is slow-growing, den-loyal and beloved by divers, and the community strongly discourages harvest. Confirm the current WDFW bottomfish rule for your area.

Pacific Salmon

King (Chinook)Silver (Coho)

Oncorhynchus spp.

Protected — do not take
pelagicvaries by species; Chinook to ~1.5 m / 40+ lb
Edibility & ciguatera
Do not spear — prohibited by spear anywhere in the state (a hook-and-line fishery only).
Where you'll see it
Open water, passes, estuaries and river mouths; the region's iconic fish, and one you will see but cannot spear. Includes Chinook (king), coho (silver), sockeye, chum and pink.
Legal status
PROHIBITED TO SPEAR statewide. WAC 220-310-130 expressly excludes salmon from what may be taken by underwater spearfishing gear. Some runs are also ESA-listed. Salmon is a Catch-Record-Card, hook-and-line fishery only.

White Sturgeon

Acipenser transmontanus

Protected — do not take
bottomup to ~6 m / 100+ years old
Edibility & ciguatera
Do not spear — prohibited by spear anywhere in the state.
Where you'll see it
Deep channels, estuaries and large rivers (Columbia, Snake); a huge, ancient, armour-plated bottom fish. Slow to mature and heavily managed.
Legal status
PROHIBITED TO SPEAR statewide. WAC 220-310-130 expressly excludes sturgeon from what may be taken by underwater spearfishing gear, and taking sturgeon by spear or bow is unlawful under WAC 220-310-120. A tightly regulated hook-and-line fishery only, where open.

Local names & details still being verified

  • Rockfish are the single biggest Washington spearfishing pitfall: legal to spear only on the outer coast (Marine Areas 1-4) within the bottomfish/rockfish sub-limits, entirely CLOSED in Puget Sound (Marine Areas 6-13), with copper/quillback/vermilion also prohibited coast-wide in May-July and yelloweye no-take statewide. Confirm the exact marine area, month and current sub-limits in the WDFW rules before spearing any rockfish.
  • Lingcod SPEARFISHING in Puget Sound has its own short window (about May 21-Jun 15) and a 36 in maximum size, separate from the longer hook-and-line season — the exact dates and any minimum size are set yearly, so verify before diving.
  • Black rockfish nicknames 'sea bass', 'black bass', 'black snapper' and 'rock cod' are all ambiguous market names shared with unrelated fish; they are flagged rather than presented as reliable IDs. 'Red snapper' / 'Pacific red snapper' is especially hazardous — it is used loosely for several Pacific rockfish AND for the PROTECTED yelloweye rockfish, so never rely on that name to judge legality.
  • Kelp greenling's colloquial names 'sea trout' and 'kelp cod' were deliberately omitted: 'sea trout' collides with protected/gamefish trout and seatrout elsewhere, and 'kelp cod' is ambiguous. A local should confirm what Washington divers actually call it.
  • Cabezon 'Cabby', redtail surfperch 'Pinkfin', striped seaperch 'Blue perch', pile perch 'White seaperch', Pacific cod 'Gray cod' and halibut 'Barn door' are regional/slang usages flagged for a local to confirm.
  • Exact daily limits, sub-limits, minimum/maximum sizes and depth (120 ft bottomfish) restrictions differ by marine area and change every season. Every 'counts toward the bottomfish limit' note should be checked against the current WDFW Sportfishing Rules for the specific marine area before relying on it.
  • SCUBA and Hawaiian-sling legality for spearfishing are treated as allowed by inference from WAC 220-310-130 (underwater spearfishing gear commonly used in skin diving) but are not named individually in a WDFW primary source — confirm with WDFW, consistent with the regulations page's own unverified flags.

A guide, not a ruling

Species identification and regional names are provided as a guide, not a substitute for local knowledge or a legality ruling. In Washington, the same fish can be legal to spear on the coast and closed in Puget Sound, salmon and sturgeon may never be taken by spear, and rockfish rules (especially the protected yelloweye and bocaccio) are strict and change yearly — always confirm the current WDFW marine-area rules, seasons and sizes before taking any fish, and never eat cabezon roe, which is toxic and not made safe by cooking.

Do not spear

Prohibited species

  • Salmon — may not be taken by spear or spearfishing gear (s1, s4)
  • Sturgeon — may not be taken by spear or spearfishing gear (s1, s4)
  • Rockfish in Marine Areas 6-13 — unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess (Puget Sound rockfish conservation closure) (s3, s8)
  • Yelloweye rockfish — unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess in all marine areas in 2026 (s3, s8)
  • Freshwater game fish (trout, bass, walleye, catfish, etc.) — may not be speared/bowfished unless a Special Rule authorizes it 4

Where you can't

Area restrictions

  • Rockfish conservation closure across Puget Sound Marine Areas 6-13 (s3, s8)
  • Marine protected areas, conservation areas, and marine reserves are closed to spearfishing/harvest — check each area's specific rules before diving 3
  • Freshwater is closed to spearing by default; only waters opened by a Special Rule permit it (s4, s7)

Worth knowing

Notable rules, seasons & limits

  • The core saltwater authorization is WAC 220-310-130, which expressly permits underwater spearfishing gear for food fish except salmon and sturgeon 1
  • Catch Record Card required and each fish logged before resuming fishing when targeting salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, or halibut; halibut card carries a $5.50 fee 5
  • Halibut is one of the few species that may be legally speared and may also be shot or harpooned while being landed 3
  • Marine seasons, bag limits, and area closures change frequently — WDFW manages 13 marine areas separately 3

What divers here typically use

Gear up for Washington spearfishing

Washington's water runs cold, so divers here tend to reach for a thicker open-cell wetsuit before anything else. Our honest guide to the Best Spearfishing Wetsuit walks through what to look for — curated from published specs and community consensus, not paid placement.

If you break them

Penalties

Fishing or spearing without a required license, taking prohibited species (e.g., salmon, sturgeon, closed rockfish), or using illegal methods is a violation of Washington fish and wildlife law enforced by WDFW, carrying fines, potential misdemeanor or gross-misdemeanor charges, and possible license suspension and gear/catch seizure. Consult WDFW for current penalty schedules 6.

Not yet independently confirmed — verify directly

  • Hawaiian sling is not named individually in a WDFW primary source; it is treated as legal because WAC 220-310-130 permits underwater spearfishing gear commonly used in skin diving without device-type restrictions (s1). Confirm with WDFW.
  • SCUBA for spearfishing is not expressly named as permitted in a primary source; it is inferred legal because the state rule imposes no breathing-apparatus prohibition and requires only that the diver be in the water (s1, s3). Confirm with WDFW.
  • Bullfrogs taken by gig/spear or bow are widely referenced in WDFW summaries, but no primary WAC/WDFW provision authorizing the method was located — verify in the current WDFW rules. (Common carp by spear or bow is now confirmed as a standing statewide exception under WAC 220-310-120 (s4) and has been moved out of unverified.)
  • Specific distance-from-swimmer or distance-from-pier setbacks for spearfishing were not located in a primary WDFW source; general marine-area and marine-protected-area closures apply instead.

Confirm these points directly with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) before you rely on them.

Primary sources

Sources

Every fact above is drawn from these official sources. Each was retrieved on the date shown; regulations can change after that date.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Is spearfishing legal in Washington?
Yes — spearfishing is legal in Washington's saltwater, and it is permitted in fresh water, subject to license, gear, species, and area rules. Legal. WAC 220-310-130 makes it lawful to take, fish for, and possess food fish taken for personal use in saltwater, EXCEPT salmon and sturgeon, using underwater spearfishing gear…
Do you need a license to spearfish in Washington?
Yes. Washington requires the WDFW Saltwater, Freshwater, or Combination Fishing License (with Catch Record Card where required). Resident cost: Saltwater $40.71; Freshwater $39.95; Combination $74.37 (resident, ages 16-69, effective Jan 1, 2026). Halibut Catch Record Card $5.50 if targeting halibut (s2, s5). Non-resident cost: Saltwater $81.70; Freshwater $115.85; Combination $170.00.
Can you spearfish on scuba in Washington?
Washington does not prohibit SCUBA for spearfishing; the rule requires the diver to be swimming or floating in the water and does not bar underwater breathing apparatus (s1, s3). Not independently confirmed by name in a primary source — see unverified.
What can't you spear in Washington?
Protected or no-take species you may not spear in Washington include: Salmon — may not be taken by spear or spearfishing gear, Sturgeon — may not be taken by spear or spearfishing gear, Rockfish in Marine Areas 6-13 — unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess, Yelloweye rockfish — unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess in all marine areas in 2026, Freshwater game fish. Always check the full prohibited-species list and current seasons before diving, and confirm with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

Stay current

Get an email when Washington's size & bag limits change

Regulations shift between seasons. We re-check Washington's rules against the primary source and send a short note when the limits, seasons, or licensing move — nothing else.

No spam. Regulations updates, gear data drops, and the launch of the guide.

Last verified July 5, 2026. Regulations change — always confirm the current rules with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) before you dive.

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