Marine Area 1

Name: eRegulations
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Ilwaco

(West of the Buoy 10 line at the Columbia River mouth, from the state line 46.15, N. Lat., north to Leadbetter Point)

Species	Season	Additional Rules
Trout	Year-round	Catch-and-release
Steelhead	Year-round	Daily limit 2 hatchery steelhead.
Sturgeon	Year-round	Catch-and-release.
Tuna and Mackerel	Year-round	No min. size. No daily limit except Northern bluefin, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna daily limit of 2 each.
Herring, Sand Lance, and Smelt	Year-round	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).
Anchovy and Sardine	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 25 lbs., all species combined. May be taken by a cast net.
Pacific Halibut	Check the WDFW website or call (360) 902-2700 in April for information on Pacific halibut seasons and regulations. No min. size. Daily limit 1. Annual limit 6. See the Nearshore Halibut Fishery below. Descending device required onboard vessels.
Other Food Fish	Year-round	No min. size. Daily limit 2 of each species. See Food Fish definition.
All Other Fish	CLOSED	CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing.

Salmon
Entire Area	June 25-Sept. 30, 2025	Chinook - min. size 22”. Coho - min. size 16”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release wild coho. Possession of salmon onboard a vessel is prohibited on days closed to salmon fishing.
Entire Area	May-June, 2026	Check the WDFW website or call (360) 902-2700 in late April for information on the 2026 salmon season.
Bottomfish
	Second Sat. in Mar.-Third Sat. in Oct.	Daily limit is 9 bottomfish (see Bottomfish definition) except surfperch and flatfish. Subject to individual limits and seasons shown below. No bottomfish may be landed in Marine Area 1 if a halibut is onboard during the All-Depth Halibut Fishery, except: sablefish, Pacific cod, all flatfish species, yellowtail, widow, canary, redstriped, greenstriped, silvergray, chilipepper, bocaccio, blue/deacon rockfish, and lingcod north of the OR/WA border. On days when only the Nearshore Halibut Fishery is open for halibut, bottomfish (subject to individual limits and seasons) may be retained when halibut are onboard. Descending device required onboard vessels.
Lingcod	Second Sat. in Mar.-May 31	Daily limit 2. No retention or possession seaward of a line drawn from 46°38.17’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon., to 46°33.00’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon.,
	June 1-June 15	Daily limit 2.
	June 16-Aug. 31	Daily limit 2. No retention or possession seaward of a line drawn from 46°38.17’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon., to 46°33.00’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon.,
	Sept. 1-Sept. 30	Daily limit 2.
	Oct. 1-Third Sat. in Oct.	Daily limit 2. No retention or possession seaward of a line drawn from 46°38.17’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon., to 46°33.00’ N Lat., 124°21.00’ W Lon.,
Surfperch	Second Sat. in Mar.-Third Sat. in Oct. Year-round from beach	Not included in bottomfish limit. No min. size. Daily limit 12 surfperch. Except shiner perch daily limit 15: not included in bottomfish limit. When bottomfish is CLOSED: fishing from North Jetty prohibited.
Rockfish	Second Sat. in Mar.-April 30	No min. size. Daily limit 7 including no more than 5 canary. Release yelloweye.
	May 1-July 31	No min. size. Daily limit 7 including no more than 5 canary. Release yelloweye, copper, quillback and vermilion.
	Aug. 1-Third Sat. in Oct.	No min. size. Daily limit 7 including no more than 5 canary. Release yelloweye.
Cabezon	Second Sat. in Mar.-Third Sat. in Oct.	No min. size. Daily limit 1.
Flatfish (Dabs, Sole, Flounder)	Second Sat. in Mar.-Third Sat. in Oct.	No min. size. In addition to the 9 bottomfish daily limit, 5 additional flatfish may be retained.
Sixgill, Sevengill, and Thresher Sharks	CLOSED	CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. Sixgill shark may not be removed from the water.

Control Zone 1: An area at the Columbia River mouth bounded on the west by a line running northeast/southwest between the red lighted Buoy #4 (46°13.58'N/124°06.83'W) and the green lighted Buoy #7 (46°15.15'N/124°06.27'W); on the east by the Buoy #10 line which bears north/south at 357° true from the south jetty at 46°14'N/124°03.12'W to its intersection with the north jetty; on the north by a line running northeast/southwest between the green lighted Buoy #7 to the tip of the north jetty (46°15.8'N/124°05.33'W), and then along the north jetty to the point of intersection with the Buoy #10 line; and on the south by a line running northeast/southwest between the red lighted Buoy #4 and the tip of the south jetty (46°14.05'N/124°04.08'W), and then along the south jetty to the point of intersection with the Buoy #10 line, is CLOSED to fishing for salmon at all times except open to fishing from the north jetty when adjacent waters north of the Control Zone are open to fishing for salmon or the Buoy 10 fishery is open.

Map of Marine Area 1 Control Zone at the Columbia River mouth, showing boundaries marked by North Jetty, South Jetty, Clatsop Spit, and buoys #4, #7, and #10. — Marine Area 1 Control Zone map at the Columbia River mouth, bordered by the North Jetty, South Jetty, Clatsop Spit, and buoys. This area is regulated for fishing access and safety.

Buoy 10 seasons: See Columbia River listing in Columbia Basin Rivers-Special Rules section.

Columbia River North Jetty: fishing for salmon and steelhead is open 7 days a week when Marine Area 1 or Buoy 10 areas are open for salmon. The daily limit and minimum size restrictions follow the most liberal regulations of either of these areas. Single-point barbless hooks required for salmon and steelhead. A saltwater or combination license is required to fish the north jetty

Washington and Oregon Reciprocity Rules: When angling or deploying shellfish gear from a vessel in the concurrent waters of the Columbia River or the Pacific Ocean within 3 miles of shore between Cape Falcon, Oregon, and Leadbetter Point, Washington, either a Washington or an Oregon fishing license is valid. NOTE: When fishing in Oregon waters, you are required to follow Oregon regulations including catch limits even if returning into a Washington port but, any fish or shellfish landed in Washington must conform to the rules in place for the point of landing.

Nearshore Halibut Fishery: Bottomfish may be retained with halibut on board in the Nearshore Halibut Fishery. The nearshore area is defined as waters shoreward of 46°38.17’N. latitude 124°15.88’W. Lon., to the WA/OR border at 46°16.00’N Lat., 124°15.88’W Lon., then connecting to the 40 fathom depth contour in Oregon. For information on Pacific halibut seasons and regulations, visit the WDFW halibut fishing regulations page or call 360-902-2700.