Waterlands

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SablefishRetention open

Bay · Washington

Hole-in-the-Wall

48.39°N · 124.73°W · Bay · West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca

LOADING MAP

Best score today · 8 AM · Sablefish

61/100Good
Now
489 AM PDT
Best window
9 AM-12 PMFlood tide
Tide now
Flooding3.6 ft ▲

Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine

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24-hour conditions · rolling from now

Conditions · 9 AM · now

Time9ANOW
Score48Good
Tide3.6 ft ▲Flooding
CurrentEbb0.7 kn · toward NW
Wind8 kn WNWgusts 12 · steady
Sea stateRough6.4 ft · 10 s
Air temp55°Mild
WeatherPartly cloudy47% cloud
Water58°FObserved

Current regulations

What you can keep here today

Marine Area 4 (Neah Bay)

IN EFFECT NOW

Sablefish

Retention open
Daily limit
9 bottomfish combined per day
Possession
Not published
Size
Not published
Season
Mar 14 to Oct 17, 2026
Annual quota
Not published
Changes
Special rules from Oct 18
Other
East of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line, bottomfish fishing is prohibited seaward of the Bottomfish Closure line. The C-shaped yelloweye rockfish conservation area off the north coast is closed to halibut and bottomfish fishing. Counts toward the 9 bottomfish daily limit. WDFW's page lists no separate limit for this species; check the pamphlet.

From WDFW North Coast halibut and bottomfish seasons page, read Sep 13

Other species here

  • Cabezon Retention open (1 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Chinook salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Chum salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Coho salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Kelp greenling Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Lingcod Retention open (2 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Pacific cod Retention open (9 bottomfish combined per day)
  • Pacific halibut Retention open (1 per day)
  • Pink salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Rockfish Retention open (7 per day (9 bottomfish combined))
  • Sockeye salmon Closed (No retention)
  • Surfperch Retention open (12 per day)

Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed

When Sablefish is best here

Shoulder season for Sablefish · 1 more week at shoulder

Sablefish season by week of the year. Shoulder season for Sablefish · 1 more week at shoulder.
  • Peak
  • Shoulder
  • Off
  • Not here
  • This week

Sablefish in Washington

Spot profile

Hole-in-the-Wall

Depth
10-70 ftDrop-off
Structure
Bay · Outer · ExposedBay · drop-off
Season
Shoulder seasonSablefish

NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 14 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below the DEM vertical datum, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.

About this spot

Fishing Hole-in-the-Wall

Hole-in-the-Wall is a bay in West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Washington. Depth is 10-70 ft, with a drop-off. Its profile reads bay, outer water and exposed.

Waterlands scores 11 species here; the best right now are kelp greenling, lingcod and rockfish. It is peak season now for Chinook salmon and coho salmon, and shoulder season for kelp greenling, lingcod, rockfish and surfperch. Kelp greenling peak from October through November. Lingcod peak from April through June. Rockfish peak from May through August.

Tackle & technique

Sablefish
Sablefish live on soft bottoms along the continental slope, and sport anglers find adults in 700 to 2,000 feet. Fish a multi-hook deep-drop rig with glow squid skirts and squid or herring on circle hooks, using several pounds of weight and an electric reel. It takes a long run offshore and a calm day to keep the line near vertical, so most trips happen in summer.
Kelp greenling
Kelp greenling are solitary bottom fish of rocky shores, jetties and kelp beds, usually in water shallower than 60 feet. Use a small number 4 to 6 hook with sand shrimp or marine worms, or a small lead-head grub, dropped to the bottom and reeled up slightly. Larger fish show in October and November when they spawn close to shore, and mornings tend to fish best.
Lingcod
Lingcod ambush prey from rock outcrops, reef edges and kelp where current runs, most often in 30 to 300 feet, and males move shallow to guard nests in winter. Drift over the reef bouncing a lead-head swimbait or metal jig on the bottom, or fish herring or squid on a heavy leader, since their teeth cut light line. From jetties and rocky shore, work bait or jigs along the rocks on the incoming tide.

Nearby spots

Other spots within an easy run

  • Duncan Rock

    Bar · 1.7 mi

    66
    Top: Kelp greenlingShoulder season
    • Kelp greenling 66
    • Cabezon 64
    • Lingcod 64

    8 kt WNWH 11:59 AM · 6.1 ftL 5:36 PM · 2.8 ft

  • Mushroom Rock

    Bar · 0.8 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Rockfish 64
    • Kelp greenling 63

    8 kt WNWH 11:59 AM · 6.1 ftL 5:36 PM · 2.8 ft

  • Slant Rock

    Bar · 1.6 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Rockfish 64
    • Kelp greenling 63

    8 kt WNWH 11:59 AM · 6.1 ftL 5:36 PM · 2.8 ft

  • Chibahdehl Rocks

    Bar · 2.4 mi

    64
    Top: CabezonShoulder season
    • Cabezon 64
    • Rockfish 64
    • Kelp greenling 63

    8 kt WNWH 11:59 AM · 6.1 ftL 5:36 PM · 2.8 ft

Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with WDFW before you keep a fish.