What’s Biting in Washington
The saltwater fish anglers catch most in Washington, from NOAA’s recreational catch survey. 66 species reported in 2024.
NOAA publishes West Coast recreational catch once a year and harvest-only, not by two-month season like the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. So this is the 2024 annual picture for Washington. For daily timing, use the Washington fishing times, tides, and sunrise times.
Most caught in Washington
The species recreational anglers harvested most in 2024, by number of fish.
Know what's running before you launch
Seasonal catch, tides, and the day's conditions worth knowing for your spots, plus the occasional Pathr update. No spam.
Reading the Washington catch
These are the saltwater fish recreational anglers report catching most in Washington, from NOAA’s recreational catch data. Rank is by number of fish harvested in 2024. Bait and panfish can sit high on the list alongside the gamefish, because this counts everything kept, not just the trophies.
To turn it into a trip, pair it with the daily details: the Washington fishing times for the bite windows, the tide charts, and the sunrise and sunset times.
Annual, harvest-only survey estimates. Courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Frequently asked
What are the most-caught fish in Washington?+
In 2024, the saltwater species anglers reported harvesting most in Washington were Black Rockfish, Lingcod, Coho Salmon. These are annual totals from NOAA's recreational catch survey.
Does this show fishing seasons for Washington?+
Not by season. NOAA publishes West Coast recreational catch once a year, not by two-month window like the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, so this page shows the 2024 annual totals. For daily timing, check the Washington fishing times, tide charts, and sunrise times.
Are released fish counted here?+
No. The Washington figures are harvested (kept) fish. The federal annual product does not include catch-and-release numbers for the West Coast, so a heavily released species may rank lower here than it fishes.
Where does this Washington fishing data come from?+
NOAA's recreational catch data for the Pacific coast, via the public FOSS landings product (2024). Courtesy: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
