Protected Fish in Washington
Yelloweye rockfish, green sturgeon, sixgill sharks, lamprey and the other fish Washington anglers must release.
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Washington fish anglers must release or leave alone
The 2026-27 pamphlet lists the fish Washington anglers may not target, keep or possess. Release any of them at once, unharmed, and do not use lamprey for bait.
- Fish for, retain, or possess canary rockfish (except in Marine Areas 1-3 and 4 West of Bonilla-Tatoosh line), green sturgeon, yelloweye rockfish, sixgill, sevengill, or thresher sharks, pygmy whitefish, margined sculpin, or Olympic mudminnow.may not fish for, keep or possess
- Take, fish for, or possess Pacific lamprey, western brook lamprey, or river lamprey, or use any species of lamprey for bait.lamprey
- Fish for, retain, or possess eulachon (Columbia River Smelt) unless specifically open under emergency regulation.eulachon
- Retain wild steelhead.wild steelhead
- Retain Dolly Varden/bull trout except where specially authorized in the special rules.bull trout and Dolly Varden
- It is unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess rockfish in Areas 6-13.rockfish in Areas 6 to 13
Printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), as posted on eRegulations; read October 31, 2026.
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Rockfish – It is unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess yelloweye rockfish in all Marine Areas in 2026. Check the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/halibut for 2027 yelloweye rockfish rules. It is unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess rockfish in Areas 6-13.
Species that would otherwise have pages
- Yelloweye RockfishSebastes ruberrimus
- Sixgill SharkHexanchus griseus
- Green Sturgeon
- Lamprey
Telling Washington no-take fish apart
Yelloweye Rockfish
no take
Green Sturgeon
no take
These photos show the fish itself, not a Washington water.
No-take fish in Washington, asked and answered
Is green sturgeon legal to keep in Washington?
No; anglers may not fish for, retain or possess green sturgeon.
Is yelloweye rockfish open?
No; it is closed in all marine areas in 2026.
Can I keep rockfish in Puget Sound?
It is unlawful to fish for, retain, or possess rockfish in Areas 6-13.
Can I keep a wild steelhead?
No; the statewide general rules make it unlawful to retain wild steelhead.
Are bull trout protected?
Retain Dolly Varden/bull trout except where specially authorized in the special rules.
Which sharks are off limits?
Sixgill, sevengill and thresher sharks may not be fished for or kept.
Can I use lamprey as bait?
No; Pacific, western brook and river lamprey may not be taken, and no lamprey may be used for bait.
What about eulachon?
Fish for, retain, or possess eulachon (Columbia River Smelt) unless specifically open under emergency regulation.