OLYMPIA — Additional recreational halibut fishing dates for August and September will be open, pending final approval by the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced today.
“The halibut fishery caught a little less than half of the quota through June 30 — behind where we were this time in 2025,” said Heather Fitch, WDFW’s intergovernmental ocean policy coordinator. “Last year, catches were slightly under the quota after the August and September openings; this year we can open the late season opportunity a week earlier in some areas.”
The 2026 recreational season is based on a statewide quota of 286,356 pounds. The catch quota of 1.65 million pounds in 2026 is the result of an allocation the International Pacific Halibut Commission approved Jan. 22 for fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California. For halibut seasons and quota information, refer to the WDFW website.
People are also reading…
2026 coast and Puget Sound halibut dates
Additional 2026 coast and Puget Sound halibut dates, subject to available quota:
- Marine Areas 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point), 6 (East Juan de Fuca Strait), 7 (San Juan Islands), 8-1 (Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay), 8-2 (Port Susan and Port Gardner), 9 (Admiralty Inlet), and 10 (Seattle-Bremerton Area): Open daily from Aug. 16 through Sept. 30.
- Marine Areas 3 (La Push) and 4 (Neah Bay): Open daily from Aug. 16 through Sept. 30.
- Marine Area 2 (Westport-Ocean Shores): Open daily from Aug. 8 through Sept. 30.
- Marine Area 1 (Ilwaco): Open daily from Aug. 8 through Sept. 30.
- Marine Areas 11 (Tacoma-Vashon Island), 12 (Hood Canal), and 13 (South Puget Sound): Closed.
Halibut limits and retention rules
In all marine areas open to halibut fishing, there is a one-fish daily catch limit and no minimum size. Anglers must record their catch on a WDFW catch record card. The annual limit is six halibut per angler. Possession limit is two daily limits in any form, except only one daily limit while aboard the fishing vessel. Anglers cannot fish for, retain, possess, or land halibut into a port located within an area closed to halibut fishing. The only exception is that anglers can land halibut they lawfully retained in Marine Area 5 into a port within Marine Area 4 when Marine Area 4 is closed.
Halibut must be kept whole, or if filleted at sea, the full carcass must be retained. Whole halibut — or at a minimum, the entire carcass from head to tail — is necessary for collecting biological data required to estimate catch relative to the federal quota.
Descending devices and rockfish protection
Fishery managers remind anglers that a descending device must be on board vessels and rigged for immediate use when fishing for or possessing bottomfish and halibut. Refer to WDFW’s webpage for information about descending devices. There are two helpful WDFW blogs about descending device requirements and rockfish identification and retention.
WDFW reminds anglers that creel staff will be at many coastal boat launches and access sites to gather information regarding fishing and crabbing trips. Anglers may be interviewed by multiple staff members who collect different information based on the species caught. The information these staff members collect is important for fishery management.
Public meetings and regulations
WDFW halibut managers will host a public webinar at 4 p.m. July 28 through Microsoft Teams and a follow-up meeting in October to review the 2026 season and invite ideas for structuring the 2027 season. Preliminary options will be presented during the Sept. 17-21 Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) meeting in Vancouver, Wash. Final inputs for the 2027 season will occur during the Nov. 13-18 PFMC meeting in Garden Grove, Calif.
Find details for the July 28 virtual public meeting on WDFW’s event webpage.
Fishing regulations include depth restrictions and area closures designed to reduce encounters with yelloweye rockfish, which anglers must release under state and federal law. Anglers can find complete information on recreational halibut fishing regulations and seasons on the WDFW halibut webpage.
For full fishery details and regulations, refer to the emergency rule change on WDFW’s website. Permanent regulations can be found in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet. To be notified of in-season rule changes as they are announced, sign up for email notifications.
WDFW works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish and wildlife recreational and commercial opportunities.
