The Best Fishing Spots in Washington
Washington offers world-class recreational fishing across the Pacific coast, the Puget Sound, the Columbia River and thousands of lakes and reservoirs. Freshwater anglers target rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, steelhead, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, Sockeye salmon, kokanee, lake trout and smallmouth bass and largemouth bass. In saltwater, popular catches include Pacific halibut, lingcod, rockfish and multiple salmon species, while the Columbia and coastal estuaries also produce white sturgeon. Fishing methods range from fly fishing and shore/pier casting to boat trolling and bottom-fishing, giving anglers options year-round.
Top Cities For Fishing
Sea Fishing
Aberdeen
(2 km to coast)
Anacortes
(1 km to coast)
Artondale
(4 km to coast)
Auburn
(14 km to coast)
Bainbridge Island
(1 km to coast)
Bellevue
(16 km to coast)
Bellingham
(2 km to coast)
Bothell West
(15 km to coast)
Bremerton
(1 km to coast)
Bryn Mawr-Skyway
(14 km to coast)
Burien
(2 km to coast)
Camano
(0 km to coast)
Des Moines
(1 km to coast)
East Hill-Meridian
(17 km to coast)
Eastmont
(14 km to coast)
Edgewood
(13 km to coast)
Edmonds
(2 km to coast)
Everett
(2 km to coast)
Federal Way
(5 km to coast)
Ferndale
(11 km to coast)
Fife
(8 km to coast)
Greenwood
(4 km to coast)
Inglewood-Finn Hill
(17 km to coast)
Joint Base Lewis McChord
(9 km to coast)
Kenmore
(16 km to coast)
Kent
(10 km to coast)
Kirkland
(19 km to coast)
Lacey
(8 km to coast)
Lake Forest Park
(12 km to coast)
Lakeland North
(7 km to coast)
Lakeland South
(13 km to coast)
Lake Stevens
(14 km to coast)
Lakewood
(8 km to coast)
Lea Hill
(17 km to coast)
Lynnwood
(7 km to coast)
Martha Lake
(12 km to coast)
Marysville
(4 km to coast)
Mercer Island
(13 km to coast)
Mill Creek
(15 km to coast)
Mill Creek East
(18 km to coast)
Mountlake Terrace
(11 km to coast)
Mount Vernon
(18 km to coast)
Mukilteo
(1 km to coast)
Oak Harbor
(1 km to coast)
Olympia
(0 km to coast)
Parkland
(18 km to coast)
Picnic Point-North Lynnwood
(5 km to coast)
Port Angeles
(0 km to coast)
Port Orchard
(0 km to coast)
Poulsbo
(1 km to coast)
Puyallup
(20 km to coast)
Renton
(17 km to coast)
SeaTac
(8 km to coast)
Seattle
(1 km to coast)
Shelton
(12 km to coast)
Shoreline
(5 km to coast)
Silverdale
(1 km to coast)
Snohomish
(18 km to coast)
Tacoma
(2 km to coast)
Tukwila
(12 km to coast)
Tumwater
(7 km to coast)
University Place
(0 km to coast)
Vashon
(2 km to coast)
West Lake Stevens
(11 km to coast)
White Center
(3 km to coast)
Top Saltwater Fishing Spots
Deception Pass
Where swift currents funnel bait and attract lingcod, rockfish, summer salmon, and feisty sea-run cutthroat; shore access from the state park bridges and beaches near Oak Harbor and Anacortes complements small-boat drifts on slack tides.
Elliott Bay
Seattle’s front yard provides urban action for summer Coho, select Chinook opportunities, winter blackmouth, and fall squid from piers; hotspots include the waterfront from Seattle to West Seattle and the mouth of the Duwamish Waterway .
Grays Harbor
The gateway to the Pacific near Westport offers fall salmon, excellent crabbing, and quick access to ocean lingcod and rockfish; tidal flats and channels around Aberdeen and Ocean Shores are perennial favorites.
Hood Canal
This long fjord off Puget Sound is prized for summer coho, fall chum, spring spot shrimp, and nearshore sea-run cutthroat; accessible shorelines and boat launches line the corridor from Belfair to Brinnon and Hoodsport .
Neah Bay
At Washington’s northwest tip near Makah Bay and Cape Flattery , anglers find world-class coho, summer Chinook, ocean halibut, and rugged lingcod and rockfish grounds; protected waters inside the bay offer options when ocean swells rise.
Puget Sound
Washington’s inland sea offers year-round action for salmon (Chinook, Coho, Pink in odd years), winter blackmouth, summer lingcod, halibut in select areas, and excellent Dungeness crab and spot prawn opportunities; popular boat and shore access stretches from Tacoma and Seattle north to Everett , the San Juan Islands , and Port Townsend .
Willapa Bay
A broad coastal estuary with fall Chinook and Coho, strong Dungeness crab and oysters nearby, plus nearshore bottomfish; popular areas include mouths of the Naselle River and North River near Raymond and Tokeland .
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Columbia River
This mighty river is famed for salmon, steelhead, and giant white sturgeon, with prolific walleye and smallmouth bass fisheries; top reaches include the Hanford stretch near Richland , the reservoirs toward Tri-Cities , and the lower river near Longview .
American Lake
Near Lakewood and Joint Base Lewis-McChord , this deep lake offers solid kokanee, rainbow trout, and sporty smallmouth bass; points, drop-offs, and mid-lake humps fish well from spring through fall.
Banks Lake
Stretching along the Grand Coulee, this reservoir delivers quality smallmouth bass, consistent walleye, and seasonal rainbow trout; long rock banks and mid-lake humps near Electric City and Coulee City are classic producers.
Cowlitz River
One of the Northwest’s most reliable steelhead and salmon rivers, with spring Chinook, fall Coho, and robust hatchery runs; productive drifts and boat lanes run from Blue Creek near Toledo down toward the Columbia River .
Lake Chelan
A deep, glacial lake known for year-round lake trout (mackinaw), big kokanee, and spring chinook in select years; productive basins span from Chelan to Stehekin , with summer flats and winter deepwater trolling drawing anglers from across the region.
Moses Lake
A central Washington favorite for slab crappie, plentiful walleye, and strong smallmouth and largemouth bass; bays and causeway areas around Moses Lake hold fish from pre-spawn through summer.
Potholes Reservoir
A desert reservoir famous for spring largemouth and smallmouth bass, excellent walleye, and strong rainbow trout and perch bites; the sand dunes and seep lakes complex south of Moses Lake offer diverse structure for both boaters and shore anglers.
Lake Roosevelt
The Columbia’s big reservoir (Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake) shines for fat kokanee, oversized rainbow trout, and hefty winter walleye; popular launch zones run near Kettle Falls , Fort Spokane , and Grand Coulee with expansive flats and points.
Lake Sammamish
A suburban gem with quality cutthroat trout, strong smallmouth and largemouth bass, and seasonal kokanee; well-served by parks and launches around Issaquah , Redmond , and Bellevue .
Skagit River
A scenic North Sound river noted for steelhead, winter bull trout catch-and-release, and spring Chinook; popular access spans from Burlington and Mount Vernon up toward Rockport and Marblemount .
Snake River
Eastern Washington’s mainstem fishery is renowned for steelhead, Chinook, and superb smallmouth bass and sturgeon; productive pool-and-dam reaches stretch from Clarkston upstream past Little Goose Dam and Lower Granite Dam .
Lake Washington
Seattle’s big urban lake produces trophy cutthroat trout, seasonal urban coho opportunities, strong smallmouth and largemouth bass bites, plus winter squid from piers connected to adjacent Elliott Bay ; access abounds around Seattle , Kirkland , and Renton .
Yakima River
A celebrated trout stream with strong wild rainbow and seasonal cutthroat, plus summer smallmouth bass in lower reaches; classic drifts run from Cle Elum through Ellensburg to the canyon above Yakima .