Mountain Whitefish in Washington
Washington rules and water for mountain whitefish.
- 15 dailylimit
- 5.13 lbsrecord
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mountain whitefish in the Evergreen State
Washington freshwater rules place mountain whitefish on the line labelled "Whitefish". Word for word, the row gives: No min. size. Daily limit 15.
WDFW credits Steven Becken with the record, 5.13 lbs out of Columbia River, Benton County in 1983. This guide links it to 56 Washington waters, beginning with Yakima River, Kalama River and Methow River. For 12 waters, the pamphlet prints a Special Rule about it. Its Latin name is Prosopium williamsoni.
mountain whitefish in the 2026-27 freshwater table
| Pamphlet row | Waters | Limit as printed | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitefish | all freshwater | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for game fish) |
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 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
Waters with their own mountain whitefish rule
Labels like "whitefish" appear on 12 waters in the Special Rules tables.
Waters that break from statewide rules
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 26 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.Record weight for Washington mountain whitefish
| Listing | Weight | Angler | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Whitefish | 5.13 lbs | Steven Becken | Columbia River, Benton County | Nov. 30, 1983 |
WDFW sport fish records, read October 31, 2026; record list.
Lakes, rivers and sound with mountain whitefish
Rivers with mountain whitefish
- Yakima RiverKittitas County
- Kalama RiverCowlitz County
- Methow RiverOkanogan County
- Wenatchee RiverChelan County
- Grande Ronde RiverAsotin County
- Chehalis RiverLewis County
- Klickitat RiverKlickitat County
- Black RiverThurston County
- Okanogan RiverOkanogan County
- Cowlitz RiverLewis County
- Lewis RiverSkamania County
- Kettle RiverFerry County
- Pend Oreille RiverPend Oreille County
- Similkameen River (Okanogan County)Okanogan County
- Snake RiverWhitman County
- Washougal RiverSkamania County
- American RiverYakima County
- Bumping RiverYakima County
WDFW Fish Washington and high lake layer species lists, WDFW SWIFD distribution, record waters and 2026 trout plants; largest waters first.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 Kin of mountain whitefish in the WDFW tables
- Lake Whitefishfreshwater
Photographs of fishing water around Mountain Whitefish
Photo: Jan Tik, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: PNWDawn, Public domain
Photo: Bonnie Moreland, Public domain
mountain whitefish in Washington: questions anglers bring
What does WDFW allow for mountain whitefish each day?
WDFW prints: No min. size. Daily limit 15.
How big is the Washington record mountain whitefish?
It weighed 5.13 lbs, out of Columbia River, Benton County in 1983; angler Steven Becken.
Where do mountain whitefish live in Washington?
It is on 56 pages, Yakima River, Kalama River and Methow River first.
Do Washington hatcheries release mountain whitefish?
No hatchery plant of it is on file for 2026.
On which Washington waters does the mountain whitefish rule shift?
On 12 waters the line changes.
Is the mountain whitefish season open now in Washington?
The row prints: Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for game fish). An emergency rule may still close it.
Is a freshwater license enough for mountain whitefish?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Who checks a new Washington mountain whitefish record?
WDFW verifies records at its offices after a certified-scale weighing witnessed by two people.
Pick Washington water for mountain whitefish
Ramps, limits and maps sit on each page above.