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.
2023 bottomfish and lingcod seasons, bag limit highlights*
Marine Areas 1-3 and Marine Area 4 west of Bonilla-Tatoosh:
- March 11 – October 21, 2023
- Daily bag limit of two lingcod per angler no minimum size limit
- Rockfish: New for 2023, in 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 11 – October 21, 2023
- 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 will host virtual public meetings this summer and fall to discuss season structure and proposed dates for the 2024 sport halibut season. These meetings will be held in August and October.
For reference, the meeting materials from the 2022 meetings.
August 9, 2022
October 4, 2022
More information
Halibut seasons and subarea quotas
Halibut season summaries and subarea quotas for Puget Sound and Marine Areas 1-4.
North Coast seasons and regulations
Information about the North Coast fishery.
South Coast seasons and regulations
Information about the South Coast fishery.
Columbia River seasons and regulations
Information about the Columbia River fishery.
Puget Sound seasons and regulations
Information about the Puget Sound fishery.
Halibut catch record card FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the halibut catch record card.