Olympia – Every year, the state of Washington allows people to fish for many species, without buying a fishing license, on one weekend. This year, Free Fishing Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, June 6-7.
Even if you don’t want to fish, it’s a good weekend to get outdoors on Washington state land. That’s because no Discover Pass is needed to park on state-managed lands — including Washington State DNR, Washington State Parks and state Fish and Wildlife land — during free fishing weekend.
Keep in mind, licenses are still required on free fishing weekend for salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut and all shellfish.
Other fishing rules and regulations — including size limits, daily limits, gear rules and some fishing area closures — also apply. They can be found at wdfw.wa.gov. That’s where you can also see a list of all stocked lakes in the state.
You can also keep regulations handy by downloading the “Fish Washington” app, which is available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the Fish and Wildlife website.
Other Washington Free Fishing Weekend opportunities include surf fishing on the Washington coastal jetties and shorelines, along the shoreline on the lower Columbia River, and bottom-fish species in Puget Sound marine areas.