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Fishing in Washington

Click a region to explore top fishing spots, species, and local tips.

Washington offers some of the best fishing in the Pacific Northwest. The Puget Sound provides salmon, halibut, and rockfish, the Olympic Peninsula features wild coastal steelhead streams, the Columbia River is famous for Chinook salmon and sturgeon, and Eastern Washington's lakes offer warmwater fishing for bass and walleye. The state has 8,000+ lakes and 70,000+ miles of rivers and streams.

Topographic map — click to view full size

Puget Sound & Seattle

Puget Sound, Elliott Bay, Lake Washington -- Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Halibut, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch

Olympic Peninsula & Coast

Queets River, Hoh River, Olympic Coast -- Steelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, Dungeness Crab

Columbia River & Central

Columbia River, Snake River, Yakima River -- Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye

Eastern WA & Spokane

Spokane River, Lake Roosevelt, Pend Oreille River -- Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike

North Cascades & Mountains

Skagit River, Lake Chelan, Ross Lake -- Steelhead, Rainbow Trout, Kokanee, Lake Trout, Cutthroat Trout

South Central WA & Tri-Cities

Yakima River, Snake River, Potholes Reservoir -- Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Rainbow Trout, Crappie, Channel Catfish