Species guide · Washington
Rockfish fishing in Washington
Sebastes spp., a nearshore species also called rock cod, rockcod and black bass. Listed for the Pacific Northwest region. Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks.
Right now it scores best in Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca at 64, one of 3 Washington bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.
Season now
Shoulder seasonSeason by month
From the Waterlands saltwater species research: when the fish are present and biting, not whether retention is open.
Pacific Northwest
Shoulder season, about 32 more weeks- Jan: Shoulder season
- Feb: Shoulder season
- Mar: Shoulder season
- Apr: Shoulder season
- May: Peak season
- Jun: Peak season
- Jul: Peak season
- Aug: Peak season
- Sep: Shoulder season
- Oct: Shoulder season
- Nov: Shoulder season
- Dec: Shoulder season
Peak: May to Aug. In season (shoulder or peak): all year.
Research notes, Pacific Northwest region
Oregon bottomfish open at all depths year round in 2026 with descending devices required outside 30 fathoms; yelloweye and quillback retention prohibited. Washington coast (Marine Areas 1 to 4) bottomfish open mid-March to mid-October. Rockfish fishing and retention is closed in Marine Areas 6 to 13 (inner Strait and Puget Sound). Black rockfish are caught from jetties year round.
Seasons and limits in these notes are background. The regulations below and the regulator’s own page govern.
Where it's scoring now · 3
Washington bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's rockfish score this hour.
Best window today 7-10 PM (70) · Best day Sat, Sep 19 at 7 AM (72) · 11 named spots
Best window today 6-10 PM (72) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (72) · 27 named spots
Best window today 7-9 PM (65) · Best day Thu, Sep 17 at 7 PM (65) · 20 named spots
Not scored in this forecast: Admiralty Inlet, Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm, East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands and Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
How and where it feeds
- Water temperature
- Feeds from 44°F to 64°F, best between 48°F and 58°F.
- Water depth
- 10 to 400 ft of water.
- Structure
- Reef, pinnacle, kelp, ledge, jetty, point, bank and wreck, in that order of preference.
- Tide and current
- Prefers incoming tide and moving water, with light current.Schooling black and blue rockfish rise off the up-current side of reefs when water is moving. ODFW notes incoming tides fish best for black rockfish from shore. On the outer coast, drift speed from wind and current matters more than tide stage.
- Light
- Some lift around dawn and dusk.
- Pressure
- Little response to pressure changes.
- Wind and sea limits
- 20 kt of wind and 6 ft of sea. The Waterlands engine scores hours down as conditions pass them.
Tackle and technique
Rockfish live on rocky reefs, pinnacles and kelp from the shoreline out past 300 feet, with black and blue rockfish schooling mid-water over shallow reefs and copper, quillback, yelloweye and vermilion sitting tight to deeper bottom. Drift over the structure with a shrimp fly above a lead-head grub or metal jig, or a squid strip, and reel up a few cranks after touching bottom to cut snags. Use a descending device to release any fish brought up from deep water.
- Methods
- vertical jigging, drift fishing, dropper-loop shrimp fly rigs, casting swimbaits over kelp, shore fishing from jetties, fly fishing for black rockfish
- Lures
- lead-head jigs with plastic grubs or worm tails, shrimp flies, metal jigs, swimbaits, casting jigs
- Bait
- squid strips, herring, anchovy, sand shrimp, marine worms, octopus
Regulations
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with WDFW Sep 17, 2026.
Check regulations No reviewed rockfish rule on file in Marine Area 1, Marine Area 2, Marine Area 3, Marine Area 4 and Marine Area 5. Check with WDFW.