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 25 more weeks.

Right now it scores best in West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca at 65, one of 8 Washington bay systems where the Waterlands engine is scoring it.

Season now

Shoulder season

Where it's scoring now All Washington waters

Season 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 25 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 · 8

Washington bay systems ranked by the Waterlands engine's rockfish score this hour.

65Great

West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca

Best window today 6 PM-12 AM (65) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (73) · 27 named spots

58Good

Grays Harbor Bar

Best window today 2-5 PM (64) · Best day Wed, Nov 4 at 8 AM (66) · 20 named spots

20Poor

Admiralty Inlet

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 23 named spots

20Poor

Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 11 named spots

20Poor

Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 8 named spots

20Poor

East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 22 named spots

20Poor

Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 308 named spots

20Poor

Puget Sound and Hood Canal

Best window today 1 PM-12 AM (20) · Best day Sun, Nov 1 at 12 AM (20) · 268 named spots

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

WDFW saltwater regulations Buy a Washington fishing license License types

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Synced with WDFW Nov 1, 2026. Rules shown verified Sep 13, 2026.

Marine Area 1Closed

No retention

Season: Oct 18, 2026 to Mar 12, 2027

Changes to check regulations on Mar 13, 2027

Closed until the 2027 season opens.

WDFW Columbia River halibut and bottomfish seasons page · verified Sep 13, 2026

Marine Area 2Closed

No retention

Season: Oct 18, 2026 to Mar 12, 2027

Changes to check regulations on Mar 13, 2027

Closed until the 2027 season opens.

WDFW South Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page · verified Sep 13, 2026

Marine Area 3Closed

No retention

Season: Oct 18, 2026 to Mar 12, 2027

Changes to check regulations on Mar 13, 2027

Closed until the 2027 season opens.

WDFW North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page · verified Sep 13, 2026

Marine Area 4Special rules

Season: Oct 18, 2026 to Mar 12, 2027

Changes to check regulations on Mar 13, 2027

West of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line: closed. East of the line: open year-round, daily limit 7, only black, blue/deacon, yellowtail and widow rockfish may be kept. Bottomfish fishing east of the line is prohibited seaward of the Bottomfish Closure line.

WDFW North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page · verified Sep 13, 2026

Marine Area 6Closed

No retention

Season: No end date on file