Latest Washington fishing regulations online for the 2020-2021 season

The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife are alerting anyone preparing for the summer fishing season that a new rules pamphlet is effective July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, and features rules and regulations for hundreds of lakes, rivers, and marine areas around the state.

The regulations are available online now and an updated printed version of the pamphlet should also be available at license dealers around the state by July 1.

Find a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) license dealer near you at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/dealers.

“With the spread of COVID-19 still a concern in Washington, be sure to call ahead to ensure your license dealer is open and has copies of the pamphlet before making the trip.”

Some of the changes to this year’s regulations that anglers should be aware of include:

  • Warmwater species: Daily limits for bass, channel catfish, and walleye have increased in select lakes, and daily limits for those species have been removed for all rivers, streams, and beaver ponds. Be sure to check specific rules for the water body where you plan to fish to see if it is managed under river or lake rules. These changes implement recommendations and legislation meant to help recovery of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population.
  • Sturgeon: Statewide night closure is in effect and sanctuary areas have been extended May 1 through Aug. 31. It is unlawful to remove sturgeon with a more than 55-inch fork length from the water.

WDFW issues updates and corrections to the pamphlet as needed. Anglers can stay up to date with regulations by downloading the Fish Washington mobile app on their smartphone; more information can be found at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/app.

The department also issues emergency rules throughout the year, available at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/.