Things to do / Travel Guide
The fish that can be caught in the waters of the northwest Washington and Cascades region include trout, kokanee, salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, shad, smelt, walleye, and cod. Except for in the Olympic National Park, you'll need a valid Washington State fishing license to fish in the region, which can be purchased online or from a variety of state authorized license sales locations. Prices cost as little as $5 for a three-day razor clam license and upwards of $80 for a combination fishing-shellfish license for out-of-state visitors. Also, regardless of where you cast your line, you will need a state-sanctioned punch card which is meant to limit the amount of fish any one person can take from the water. These punch cards are available wherever fishing licenses can be obtained, including online.
Freshwater Fishing Trips
You can fish for all different kinds of trout at Pine Lake, just east of Lake Sammamish, as well as at Lake St. Clair, located in Thurston County. Salmon can be hooked in the waters of the Puget Sound as well as in pretty much any river in the region, especially in the Skagit River Watershed in North Cascades National Park.
Lake Chelan is a narrow 56-mile-long lake about 150 miles east of Everett that is over 1,500 feet deep and that is home to many different species of fish including Chinook salmon, king salmon, kokanee salmon, mackinaw trout, rainbow trout, and smallmouth bass.
Fishing can be enjoyed license free in the waters near the Olympic National Park. The Olympic National Park is a wilderness park known for great fishing in pristinely isolated streams and lakes as well as in the Pacific Ocean. Both the inland and coastal waters of the Olympic National Park are “salmon country.” In particular, kokanee salmon, as well as steelhead and rainbow trout, are in good supply. In the coastal waters greenlings, Pacific cod, and saltwater perch can be caught as well.
Within Olympic National Park there are a number of lakes that are awash with excellent fishing opportunities. Lake Crescent is the largest and most famous, mainly due to its majestic scenic beauty. The 5,000 acres of Lake Crescent are known for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout as well as tiny kokanee trout. Another famous lake is Lake Ozette, where steelhead and sockeye fish can be reeled in along with salmon and cutthroat trout.
Finally, fishing in Ross Lake, a large reservoir in the north Cascade mountains, is best from the beginning of July until the end of October. Fish that can be caught in Ross Lake include native rainbow trout as well as cutthroat trout and eastern brook trout. Fishing in Ross Lake is somewhat heavily regulated and anglers are limited to catching three rainbow trout per day.
Off-shore Fishing Trips
Thanks in no small part to Washington State's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, off-shore sea-fishing for red snapper, flounder, ling cod, sea perch, salmon, and halibut is plentiful from the rocks and jetties than line the hundreds of miles of Pacific coastline. Tuna, particularly albacore tuna, can also be fished in from the Pacific along the region's northern coasts. Fishing in this region is best during the summer months, and charters are available at Ilwaco, Westport, La Push, Sekiu, and Clallam Bay. Generally speaking, an hour-long fishing excursion will set you back about $25 and you get to keep any fish you reel in!
Salmon can be caught primarily from December-February, with the steelhead fishing season also starting in December, but continuing on through the end of April. Trout is best caught in the region's waters from April-October. Largemouth bass comes into season during April and May, with the ling cod season lasting from May until June. Halibut can be caught during the spring and summer months, and tuna season lasts from July-October.
Fishing is a fantastic endeavor in the waters around the San Juan Islands. Considered some of the finest fishing to be had in the United States, fishing around the San Juan Islands can be done from the shore or from wading into the shallow waters around some of the islands. Salmon, bass, halibut, and lingcod are abundant in the local waters. Rainbow trout and largemouth bass are also particularly common, especially during the months of April and May.
Neah Bay is considered the best place to go saltwater fishing in the continental United States. There are many schools of bluetail and yellowtail rockfish and an abundance of krill, herring, lingcod, salmon, and halibut. The waters of Neah Bay are especially full of fish during the winter months. And just past Neah Bay is a city called Sekiu, located on the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Known as a great spot for all sorts of fishing, including deep-sea fishing, Sekiu is a great place to cast your line from February-April if you want to catch large blackmouth bass as well as halibut, lingcod, and salmon.
Seattle, Tacoma, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Washington and The Cascades
Fishing
Rialto Beach - Washington (+ Second and Third Beach)
Spencer Spit State Park Beach - Lopez Island, Washington
Owen Beach - Tacoma, Washington
Camano Island State Park Beach - Metro Seattle, Washington
Obstruction Pass State Park Beach - Orcas Island, Washington
Deception Pass State Park Beach - Whidbey Island, Washington
Shi Shi Beach - Olympic NP, Washington
Dungeness Spit Beach - Washington
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