Fishing in Washington

State

Washington

Country

USA

Venues

2,578

Licence

State-issued

PiscaMaps covers 2,578 public fishing venues across Washington in 6 regions — 2,141 lakes and reservoirs and 413 rivers. The largest is Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, at 77,684 acres. Snake River is the longest mapped river, running 284 km. Region 4 (North Puget Sound) has the most venues on file, with 875. 1,594 venues are documented trout waters.

The most commonly recorded species across Washington's public waters are Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Kokanee Salmon and Channel Catfish — the exact mix varies by water type and region. 442 venues have a real boat ramp on file, 692 have nearby camping, and 788 have mapped parking — sourced from OpenStreetMap and recreation.gov's federal facilities database (RIDB) where available.

Fishing Regions in Washington

Washington's public fishing venues are spread across 6 regions on PiscaMaps:

Region 4 (North Puget Sound) · 875 Region 5 (Southwest) · 568 Region 3 (South Central) · 366 Region 2 (North Central) · 278 Region 1 (Eastern) · 246 Region 6 (Coastal) · 221

Species Recorded in Washington

The most frequently recorded species across Washington's public venues on PiscaMaps:

Rainbow Trout · 1,937 Largemouth Bass · 1,212 Black Crappie · 1,051 Bluegill · 998 Smallmouth Bass · 991 Brown Trout · 984 Kokanee Salmon · 973 Channel Catfish · 902 Lake Trout · 898 Blue Catfish · 897

Fishing Licence in Washington

Anyone 15 or older needs a Washington freshwater fishing licence — the resident annual is about $30, the non-resident annual about $85, with a combination (fresh + salt + shellfish) licence and 1-, 2- and 3-day options. A Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement (~$9) is required to fish the Columbia and its tributaries for salmon or steelhead, a Two-Pole Endorsement (~$15) allows two rods on eligible waters, and a free Catch Record Card is required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut. Youth under 15 fish free. A Discover Pass ($30/year or $10/day) is required to park at WDFW water-access areas, state parks and DNR land. Buy from WDFW at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. A Washington fishing licence covers this water.

Full access to public fishing venues in Washington

Join PiscaMaps to unlock boat ramps, camping, species and licence info for every venue in Washington and across the USA.

Join PiscaMaps View on Map

From £5.95/month · £49.95/year · Cancel anytime

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public fishing venues are there in Washington?+

PiscaMaps covers 2,578 public fishing venues across Washington in 6 regions — 2,141 lakes and reservoirs and 413 rivers. The largest is Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, at 77,684 acres. Snake River is the longest mapped river, running 284 km. Region 4 (North Puget Sound) has the most venues on file, with 875. 1,594 venues are documented trout waters.
Do I need a fishing licence in Washington?+

Anyone 15 or older needs a Washington freshwater fishing licence — the resident annual is about $30, the non-resident annual about $85, with a combination (fresh + salt + shellfish) licence and 1-, 2- and 3-day options. A Columbia River Salmon/Steelhead Endorsement (~$9) is required to fish the Columbia and its tributaries for salmon or steelhead, a Two-Pole Endorsement (~$15) allows two rods on eligible waters, and a free Catch Record Card is required for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut. Youth under 15 fish free. A Discover Pass ($30/year or $10/day) is required to park at WDFW water-access areas, state parks and DNR land. Buy from WDFW at fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov. A Washington fishing licence covers this water.
Are there boat ramps and camping near Washington's fishing lakes?+

442 venues have a mapped boat ramp and 692 have nearby camping on PiscaMaps, sourced from OpenStreetMap and the federal RIDB database.