4 Reasons Washington Has the Best Fishing in the Country

Are you a professional fisher with a lifetime of experience and want to find the next best spot to claim a prize catch? Washington is the place for you. Are you a rookie amateur who has never cast a fishing line in your life? Do you just want a good spot to relax and take in the scenery? Believe it or not, Washington is the place for you, too! Washington has the best fishing in the country, and here are 4 reasons why.

Washington has over 40,000 miles of crystal-clear rivers, more than 8,000 lakes at every elevation, the famous Puget Sound, world-renowned piers and long ocean beaches. It truly is a fisherman’s paradise. Whether it’s the many types of fish, the scenery, the sport, or the people, Washington will be your next favorite fishing spot. If you haven’t fished in the Evergreen State yet, you’re missing out!

Reason #1: Fish Variety

No matter where you’ve been fishing before, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any location with a greater variety of fish to catch than Washington state. The differences in locations lend themselves to a huge selection of fish. Whether you prefer salt-water fish, fresh-water fish, big, small, or a bit of everything, you can find your perfect catch in one of Washington’s many lakes. Also, because fishing is such a popular sport in the state you’ll find an abundance of tips, guides, and companies who will help you find exactly what you’re looking for. Washington actively stocks many of its lakes with healthy, easy-to-catch fish every year.

For example, at Fish lake, you can catch Brown trout, largemouth bass, largescale sucker, northern pikeminnow, rainbow trout, redside shiner, yellow perch, and kokanee. While at Puget Sound you can catch many types of salmon. This includes the chinook salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon. Other common catches are the sea-run coastal cutthroat trout, steelhead, sea-run bull trout, and Dolly Varden trout. However, pink salmon fishing is only available during odd years from July to September, so plan your trip accordingly!

Exploring further west onto the beaches of Washington and beyond, you can enjoy catching fish from the ocean. There are many popular places along the coast for professionals and newcomers to enjoy casting form the shore. Or, if you want to, you can charter a boat to take you further out for some bigger catches. Here, you can catch albacore tuna, lingcod, seaperch, rockfish, and surf perch, among many other species.

Additionally, if you enjoy shellfish, there are many places that specialize in offering many tasty crab, mussels, slams, and oysters to break up your fishing trip. Specifically, you can find steamer clams, butter clams, horse clams, cockles and eastern softshell clams, and geoduck. Razor clams are one of the most popular species of shellfish in Washington. Many of the fishing locations along the Washington coast offer resources to help new fishers identify, catch, and prepare shellfish. So, if this is your first time, don’t worry.

To participate in razor clam hunts, all you need is your shellfish license, a bucket, and a small shovel. During the spring months, you can find over a thousand people per square mile of beach digging in the sand looking for razor clams.

The list of available fish goes on. Chances are no matter where you’re going in Washington, you will be near a lake with some of the best catches the United States has to offer.

Reason #2: Fishing Types

Casting a single line while chilling on the pier or beach is a fantastic way to pass the day. But Washington offers many other types that might capture your attention. Thousands of professional and amateur fishers make their way to the lakes, rivers, and beaches of Washington to try their hand at fly fishing, deep-sea fishing, shellfishing, ice fishing, and more.  

If you’re new to fishing, we recommend finding a charter to take you to some of the prime fishing locations. They will also show you the ropes of the types of fishing you want to learn. Whether its deep-sea fishing, fly fishing, or something else.

If you’re only in Washington for a short time and want to experience fishing like a local, then we definitely suggest you try out pier fishing. There are over 50 well-maintained piers along the Washington coast where local fishermen do their best work. Most of these piers have fish cleaning stations and squid jigging areas. Some of these piers are so popular and famous among the locals that restaurants and businesses have popped up around them, catering to newcomers and professionals alike.

Maybe you prefer something a bit calmer and solitary? Then shore fishing is for you. There are over 80 state parks and many national parks that welcome fishers of all ages and skill. Bring a single pole or a truck full of equipment and you’re sure to have a good time.

Beyond the typical fishing, we definitely recommend you try your hand at ice fishing. If you happen to be in Washington during the winter, this is one of the most popular pastimes. More than 40 Washington lakes freeze during the winter, allowing anglers to catch trout, salmon, and perch. If you enjoy the snow, ice, and good company, then you have to try ice fishing in Washington.

Reason #3: Local Fish Scene

Like its New England counterparts on the other side of the country, the coastal cities of Washington are famous for their ports, fish, and food. In-between casting your line, you can take a stroll through the fish markets, restaurants, stores, and other businesses all focused around fish and fishing. If you haven’t had the pleasure of walking through the open-air fish markets along the piers of Seattle, then you are in for a truly unforgettable treat.

Fishing is more than a hobby in Washington, especially along the coast. Winter, spring, summer, or fall, you’re going to find people busy about the life of fishing. And they all agree that Washington has the best fishing in the country.

Spend any amount of time in the fishing hotspots of Seattle, Edmonds, Montesano, Westport, or Toledo and you’re going to bump shoulders with seasoned fishermen of all types. Learn tips about crabbing from sailors enjoying their off-season. Compare your catch with lifetime pier fishermen out on the docks. Walk the sandy beaches with young and old locals while digging for razor clams. Find hidden fishing areas or your perfect spot to return to every year.

Reason #4: Beautiful Locations

Finally, one of the best things about fishing in Washington: the beautiful scenery. Other states have breathtaking lakes and rivers to fish at, sure, but none have the variety and unspoiled splendor of Washington’s waterways.

Fancy ice fishing on a crystal-blue lake? Go to Washington. Want to fish some trophy salmon in the shadow of an active volcano? That’s in Washington. Feel like exploring old growth forests and fish hundreds of miles away from civilization? That’s right, Washington. Want to take a ride in an old ship out into the ocean and fish for some truly massive catches? Washington has all that and more.

With thousands of lakes and rivers in a variety of locations, elevations, and climates, each fishing trip to Washington is going to treat you to something new and unforgettable.

Beyond the professional fishing competitions, the bustling fishing scene, or the sheer amount of fish you can catch, nothing can beat the gorgeous landscape of the Washington wilderness in which some of the best fishing spots in the world are found.

Are you planning your Washington fishing trip? Remember that everyone, 15 and older, are welcome to fish as long as they have their license. Children younger than 15 don’t need a license but still need to get a Catch Record Card.

We could go on about why Washington has the best fishing in the country, but if you’re not convinced already, then nothing will convince you. Happy fishing!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Bill Kingman