Recreational bottomfish and halibut

Reminder that Barbless Hooks are required for all species in Marine Areas 5 through 13—including for halibut and bottomfish—except when using forage fish jig gear to target forage fish (herring, sandlance, anchovy, sardine and smelt). See Marine Area Rules & Definitions in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules.

Recreational fishing seasons and regulations in Washington's waters for bottomfish and halibut, including weekly updates.

2024 bottomfish and lingcod seasons, bag limit highlights*

Marine Areas 1-3 and Marine Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh:

• March 9 – October 19, 2024
• Daily bag limit of two lingcod per angler no minimum size limit
• Rockfish: May, June, and July the possession limit for copper rockfish, quillback rockfish, and vermilion rockfish is 0.

Marine Area 4 (east of Bonilla-Tatoosh): 

• Recreational bottomfish: open year round
• Recreational lingcod: March 9 – October 19, 2024
• Daily bag limit of two lingcod per angler, no minimum size limit

*See regulation pamphlet for complete listing of bag limits at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations

Public meetings

WDFW hosted a virtual coastal recreational bottomfish meeting on April 24, 2024, to review preliminary preferred management measure alternatives needed to keep catch within recreational harvest guidelines for the 2025-26 biennium.

WDFW hosted a virtual public/stakeholders coastal recreational bottomfish meeting on March 20. Fishery managers discussed the 2025-2026 Harvest Specifications and Management Measures Process Overview; reviewed Preliminary Management Measure Analysis; and next steps of the process.

Upcoming 2024 public meeting dates:

The 2025-26 coastal recreational bottomfish harvest specifications and management measures process overview with final preferred alternative will be discussed and adopted at a Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting on June 6-13 in San Diego, CA.