Bellingham Bay Tournaments
Club and derby dates, posted winners and launches for Bellingham Bay.
- 0upcoming
- 3results
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Each Bellingham Bay row was read from the organizer page it links to; no shared statewide contest list is used here.
Host pages linked in each row; retrieved October 2026.
Bellingham Bay on the Washington event calendar
Host announcements put 2 scheduled events on Bellingham Bay; 0 lie ahead, next to 3 published results. Resurrection Derby have put boats on Bellingham Bay. Hosts print Weigh-in: Cap Sante as the place boats gather.
First-place finishes on Bellingham Bay
| Date | Event | Winner | Winning weight | One-day five-bass (lb) | Big fish | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-29 | Resurrection Derby 2026, 1st | TED LUNKA | 27.94 lbs | |||
| 2026-08-29 | Resurrection Derby 2026, Active Duty/Veteran | PETE NELSON | 18.56 lbs | |||
| 2026-08-29 | Resurrection Derby 2026, Women | KELLI WYLL | 18.13 lbs |
Winners exactly as the hosts posted them, linked.
Past Washington dates on Bellingham Bay
| Date | Event | Organizer | Gathering point | County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-29 | Resurrection Derby 2026 | Resurrection Derby | Weigh-in: Cap Sante | Whatcom County |
| 2025-08-16 | Resurrection Derby 2025 | Resurrection Derby | Whatcom County |
Bellingham Bay on a day with no field out
Bellingham Bay lies in Marine Area 7 of the WDFW recreational marine areas, in Whatcom County. The WDFW and State Parks layers map 3 pier or shore sites on this water. NOAA station Cherry Point (9449424) read 9.24 ft above MLLW on 2026-10-31, preliminary.
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.
WDFW recreational marine area and access layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov), NOAA ESI, NOAA CO-OPS; retrieved October 31, 2026.
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| Species | 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 |
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.
Bellingham Bay ramps, clubs and home counties
Bellingham Bay launches on the WDFW and State Parks layers
- Public launch (east)Discover Pass, Marietta-Alderwood
- Lake Samish boat launch1 ramp, concrete surface, Discover Pass, Sudden Valley
- Tennant Lake boat launchunimproved surface, Ferndale
- Tennant Lake Launchunimproved surface, Discover Pass, Ferndale
- Toad Lake boat launch1 ramp, unimproved surface surface, Discover Pass, Geneva
- Ferndale boat launch on Nooksack River1 ramp, concrete surface, Ferndale
- Cain Lake boat launch1 ramp, gravel surface, Discover Pass, Alger
- Public launch on Lake Whatcomconcrete surface, Discover Pass, Sudden Valley
- Lake Whatcom boat launchgravel surface, Sudden Valley
- Lake Whatcom boat launch1 ramp, concrete surface, Discover Pass, Sudden Valley
Bellingham Bay hosts
Bellingham Bay contest counties
- Whatcom County
Washington boat load-out for a Bellingham Bay day
Mooching rods
For Puget Sound salmon
Flashers and spoons
For coho and chinook
Downriggers
For derby depth
Nets and descenders
For wild fish release
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Washington contest waters besides Bellingham Bay
- Big Lake2 events
- Columbia River1 event
- Lake Chelan0 events
- Lake Goodwin4 events
- Lake Roosevelt1 event
- Lake Samish6 events
- Lake Stevens4 events
- Lake Terrell2 events
- Lake Whatcom2 events
- Moses Lake6 events
- Puget Sound2 events
How to tell one Bellingham Bay fish from another, by photo
Photo: Olympic National Park, Public domain
Photo: Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain
Shorelines around the Bellingham Bay weigh-ins, photographed
Photo: Robert Ashworth, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Jonathan Miske, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Krystal.Hamlin, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Terri Stewart, CC BY-SA 2.0
Bellingham Bay contest questions from Washington anglers
How many Washington events list Bellingham Bay?
2 host-printed dates, 0 still ahead, plus 3 published results.
Which date opens the Bellingham Bay calendar?
The hosts read for this water post no future date yet; the weekly check adds one when it appears.
How heavy has first place run on Bellingham Bay?
The hosts print winning weights here without naming a five-bass limit, so no average is worked out; each weight stands as printed.
Which Washington groups book dates on Bellingham Bay?
Resurrection Derby.
Which ramp sends Bellingham Bay contestants out?
Launch points printed by the hosts: Weigh-in: Cap Sante.
Which Bellingham Bay result is most recent?
TED LUNKA claimed Resurrection Derby 2026, 1st (2026-08-29) with 27.94 lbs.
What Washington license does a Bellingham Bay entrant need?
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 do Washington anglers sign up for Bellingham Bay?
Entries go to the organizer, and each event title in the tables links there.
How can I submit a Bellingham Bay date?
Yes; the Add a tournament button near the top of this page takes Washington club dates.
Log hours on Bellingham Bay early
This water has its own Washington page with launches and limits.
Know a tournament that is not listed?
Send it here with a link to the organizer’s event page or schedule. Weekly and monthly ones only need to go in once. If that page shows the name and the date (or the day of the week), it goes on this page right away. If not, we check it by hand within a week.
We keep what you send so we can check the event. Your email is never published.