Bellingham Bay Fishing
Washington marine water in Whatcom County, inside Marine Area 7.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Robert Ashworth, CC BY 2.0
Bellingham Bay in figures
Bellingham Bay, a named water of Whatcom County, falls under the Marine Area 7 rules. From the mapped point, Bellingham lies about 6 miles away.
Anglers without a boat have 3 piers and shore sites. Read its 31 marine rule rows before keeping fish. NOAA tide predictions cover 4 NOAA tide stations.
WDFW recreational marine area layer (WAC 220-311-010) on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov, USGS GNIS names, WDFW and State Parks launch layers, WDFW shore fishing layer; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Fish anglers target on Bellingham Bay
Fish the rules and records tie to Bellingham Bay; many more species live there.
2026-27 WDFW pamphlet marine area rows and WDFW sport fish records; retrieved October 31, 2026.
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No ramp on Bellingham Bay appears in the access layers, so boats run in from launches nearby.
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. Parking at WDFW and State Parks launches needs a Discover Pass.
Walk-out fishing on Bellingham Bay
- Gooseberry Pt. Ferry Dock on Bellingham Bayfishing pier, Marine Area 7
- Boulevard Park Pier (Bellingham) on Bellingham Bayfishing pier, Marine Area 7
- Bellingham Cruise Terminal on Bellingham Bayfishing pier, Marine Area 7
Shore access within reach of Bellingham Bay
- Bowman's Bay Pier on Deception Passfishing pier, Marine Area 6, 19 miles
WDFW piers and shore fishing layers, retrieved October 31, 2026.
Named coves around Bellingham Bay
- Chuckanut Baybay Whatcom County
- Inati Baybay Whatcom County
- Pleasant Baybay Whatcom County
- Portage Baybay Whatcom County
- Reil Harborharbor Whatcom County
- Smugglers Covecove Whatcom County
- Wildcat Covecove Whatcom County
USGS GNIS names inside the WDFW marine area polygon; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Tides and water level at Bellingham Bay
NOAA CO-OPS water level, preliminary reading at retrieval (October 31, 2026); station page for live data.
- Bellinghamtide predictions, 5 miles
- Gooseberry Pointtide predictions, 6 miles
- Village Point, Lummi Islandtide predictions, 7 miles
- Sandy Point, Lummi Baytide predictions, 10 miles
Tide height on Bellingham Bay decides which launches and beaches work; check before you go.
NOAA CO-OPS water level and tide prediction stations inside or beside the marine area; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Marinas around Bellingham Bay (NOAA ESI record)
- Zvanich Park/Squalicum Harbormarina
- Fisherman's Covemarina
- Squalicum Harbormarina 360/676-2500
NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index atlas records (2003 to 2006); facility and reef details reflect the source year, not today. Retrieved october 31, 2026.
Washington saltwater rules on Bellingham Bay
| Species and location | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout | Catch-and-release. | Year-round |
| Steelhead | Daily limit 2 hatchery steelhead. | Year-round |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release. | Year-round |
| Mackerel | No min. size. No daily limit. | Year-round |
| Herring, Anchovy, Sardine, Sand Lance, and Smelt | No min. size. Daily limit 10 lbs., all species combined. All smelt caught must be kept and count toward the daily limit except Closed to eulachon (Columbia River smelt). Herring – Closed year-round north of a line from S | Year-round |
| Pacific Halibut | Check the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/halibut or call (360) 902-2700 in March for information on Pacific halibut seasons and regulations. No min. size. Daily limit 1. Annual limit 6. Descendin | see the pamphlet |
| Other Food Fish | No min. size. Daily limit 2 of each species. See definition. | Year-round |
| All Other Fish | CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. | CLOSED |
| Salmon (Entire Area (see exceptions for Lummi Indian Reservation and Lummi Bay, Samish Bay, Yellow and Low Isl | Chinook – min. size 22”. Other salmon species – no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release chum, sockeye, wild coho, and wild Chinook. Additional Chinook openings may occur based on available q | July 16-July 18 |
| Salmon (Entire Area (see exceptions for Lummi Indian Reservation and Lummi Bay, Samish Bay, Yellow and Low Isl | CLOSED. | July 19-July 31 |
| Salmon (Entire Area (see exceptions for Lummi Indian Reservation and Lummi Bay, Samish Bay, Yellow and Low Isl | No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook, chum, sockeye, and wild coho. | Aug. 1-Aug. 31 |
| Salmon (Entire Area (see exceptions for Lummi Indian Reservation and Lummi Bay, Samish Bay, Yellow and Low Isl | No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook, sockeye, and chum. | Sept. 1-Sept. 30 |
| Salmon (Lummi Indian Reservation and Lummi Bay Area) | CLOSED. | Year-round |
| Salmon (Samish Bay) | CLOSED. | Year-round |
| Salmon (Yellow and Low Islands Preserve) | CLOSED. | Year-round |
| Salmon (Southern Rosario Strait/Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) | CLOSED. | Year-round |
| Salmon (Bellingham Bay (see exception for Hale Pass below)) | CLOSED. | July 1-July 31 |
| Salmon (Bellingham Bay (see exception for Hale Pass below)) | Chinook – min. size 22”. Other salmon species – no min. size. Daily limit 3. | Aug. 1-Sept. 30 |
| Salmon (Bellingham Bay (see exception for Hale Pass below)) | CLOSED. | Oct. 1-June 30 |
| Salmon (Hale Pass) | CLOSED. | July 1-Aug. 31 |
| Salmon (Hale Pass) | Chinook – min. size 22”. Other salmon species – no min. size. Daily limit 3. | Sept.1-Sept. 30 |
| Salmon (Hale Pass) | CLOSED. | Oct. 1-June 30 |
| Bottomfish | Year-round season. Daily limit is a total of 15 bottomfish (See definition) subject to individual limits and seasons shown below. Fishing for bottomfish prohibited in waters deeper than 120’. Descending device required o | see the pamphlet |
| Lingcod | Hook and line season. Min. size 26”. Max. size 36”. Daily limit 1. | May 1-June 15 |
Only 24 of the 31 rows for Marine Area 7 fit.
Anglers 16 and older fishing marine water carry a Saltwater license ($40.71 resident, $81.70 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license, plus a catch record card for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead or halibut.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 121 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations marine area page), read October 31, 2026.
Events posted for Bellingham Bay by their organizers
Upcoming and past Bellingham Bay derbies are listed together.
Bellingham Bay against the closest bays and areas
| Water | Distance | Marine area | Launches | Piers and shore sites | Tide stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Bay | Marine Area 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | |
| San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7) | 5 miles | Marine Area 7 | 8 | 6 | 28 |
| Rosario Strait | 12 miles | Marine Area 7 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Deception Pass | 20 miles | Marine Area 8-1 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| Skagit Bay | 26 miles | Marine Area 8-1 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| Saratoga Passage | 31 miles | Marine Area 8-1 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
WDFW marine areas and access layers, NOAA stations; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Around the Bellingham Bay area
More bays and areas past Bellingham Bay
- San Juan Islands (Marine Area 7)5 miles
- Rosario Strait12 miles
- Deception Pass20 miles
- Skagit Bay26 miles
- Saratoga Passage31 miles
Where else to fish around Bellingham Bay
- Lake Padden5 miles
- Pine Lake (Whatcom County)5 miles
- Lake Samish8 miles
- Tennant Lake10 miles
- Samish River14 miles
- South Fork Nooksack River17 miles
- Nooksack River18 miles
- Skagit River21 miles
Where to buy worms, eggs and jigs for Bellingham Bay
- Dick's Sporting Goods Bellinghamsporting goods store, Bellingham, 7 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse Bellinghamsporting goods store, Bellingham, 8 miles
- Barlean's Fisherybait and tackle shop, Bellingham
- Fat Fish Tackle Co.bait and tackle shop, Bellingham
- Harbor Marine Fuelmarina, Bellingham
- Hilton Harbor Marinamarina, Bellingham
Washington towns handy to Bellingham Bay
- Bellingham6 miles
- Marietta-Alderwood7 miles
- Geneva8 miles
- Sudden Valley10 miles
Counties that hold part of Bellingham Bay
- Whatcom Countyseat: Bellingham
What Piscifun sells for a morning at Bellingham Bay
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Fish worth recognising before a day at Bellingham Bay
Photo: Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
Photo: Ed Bierman, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Steve Lonhart (SIMoN / MBNMS), Public domain
Bellingham Bay, asked and answered for Evergreen State anglers
Which marine area is Bellingham Bay?
Use the rows for Marine Area 7.
What is the salmon limit on Bellingham Bay?
Pamphlet salmon row, Marine Area 7: Chinook – min. size 22”. Other salmon species – no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release chum, sockeye, wild coho, and wild Chinook, July 16-July 18.
Is bottomfish open on Bellingham Bay?
WDFW prints Hook and line season. Min. size 26”. Max. size 36”. Daily limit 1. for lingcod, May 1-June 15.
Which listed saltwater ramp sits closest to Bellingham Bay?
None in our layers nearby.
Is there bank access on Bellingham Bay?
WDFW maps 3 piers and shore sites; Gooseberry Pt. Ferry Dock on Bellingham Bay is one.
Can out-of-state visitors fish Bellingham Bay?
Anglers 16 and older fishing marine water carry a Saltwater license ($40.71 resident, $81.70 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license, plus a catch record card for salmon, sturgeon, steelhead or halibut.
Where can I check the tides for Bellingham Bay?
The tide band lists Bellingham and others.
Which tackle shop serves Bellingham Bay?
Dick's Sporting Goods Bellingham is the nearest shop we list, about 7 miles away.
Rig the downriggers for Bellingham Bay
Every Washington saltwater fee and season sits one click away.