Skip to main content
Washington

Fishing

Fishing

Marine Area 11

Tacoma and Vashon Island Area

(From the north tip of Vashon Island to the Northernmost Tacoma Narrows Bridge)

Species

Season

Additional Rules

Trout

Year-round

Catch-and-release.

Steelhead

Year-round

Daily limit 2 hatchery steelhead.

Sturgeon

Year-round

Catch-and-release.

Mackerel

Year-round

No min. size. No daily limit.

Herring, Anchovy, Sardine, 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). For smelt: Jig gear may be used 7 days a week. Dipnets may be used from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Fridays through Tuesdays.

Pacific Halibut

CLOSED

CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing.

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
(see exception for Commencement Bay and piers below)

June 1-June 30

Open Wed.-Sat. only. Closed Sun-Tues. Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release chum and wild Chinook.

July 1-July 16

CLOSED.

July 17-July 19

Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release chum and wild Chinook. Additional Chinook openings may occur based on available quota. Check the WDFW website.

July 20-July 31

CLOSED.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30

Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 plus 2 additional pink may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook. Chinook retention may close earlier if quota is attained.

Oct. 1-Nov. 15

No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook.

Nov. 16-Mar. 31

CLOSED.

Apr. 1 -Apr. 30

Open Wed.-Sat. only. Closed Sun-Tues. Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook. Release chum and wild Chinook.

Commencement Bay
(see 6 below for boundaries)

June 1-July 31

CLOSED.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30

Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 plus 2 additional pink may be retained. Release chum and wild Chinook. Chinook retention may close earlier if quota is attained.

Oct. 1-Nov. 15

No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook.

Nov. 16-Apr. 30

CLOSED.

Des Moines Pier, Les Davis Pier, Point Defiance Boathouse Dock, and Redondo Pier

Oct. 1-July 31

Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook.

Aug. 1-Sept. 30

Chinook - min. size 22”. Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2 including no more than 1 Chinook plus 2 additional pink may be retained. Release chum.

Bottomfish

Year-round season. Daily limit is a total of 15 bottomfish (see Bottomfish definition) subject to individual limits and seasons shown below. See closures below. Fishing for bottomfish prohibited in waters deeper than 120’. Descending device required onboard vessels.

Lingcod

May 1-June 15

Hook and line season. Min. size 26”. Max. size 36”. Daily limit 1.

May 21-June 15

Spearfishing season. Max. size 36”. Daily limit 1.

Surfperch

Year-round

No min. size. Daily limit 10. Except shiner perch daily limit 15: not included in bottomfish limit.

Rockfish

CLOSED

CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing.

Pacific Cod, Pollock, Hake, and Wolf-Eel

Year-round

CLOSED to retention.

Sixgill, Sevengill, and Thresher Sharks

CLOSED

CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. Sixgill shark may not be removed from the water.

Cabezon

May 1-Nov. 30

Min. size 18”. Daily limit 1.

Map of Washington Marine Area 11 around Vashon and Maury Islands, showing fishing access points including Point Defiance, Browns Point, Redondo Pier, Des Moines, and Commencement Bay. Boundaries with Area 10 to the north and Area 13 to the south are marked.
Marine Area 11 fishing map covering Vashon Island, Maury Island, and Commencement Bay, with key locations such as Point Defiance, Browns Point, Redondo Pier, and Des Moines highlighted for anglers.

1 Les Davis Fishing Pier: Waters within 100 yards of the Les Davis Fishing Pier, CLOSED to fishing for food fish and to the harvest of shellfish except when fishing from the pier.

2 Des Moines Fishing Pier: Waters within 100 yards of the Des Moines Public Fishing Pier, CLOSED to fishing for food fish and to the harvest of shellfish except when fishing from the pier.

3 City of Des Moines Park Conservation Area: CLOSED to fishing for, harvesting, and possession of fish and shellfish.

4 South 239th Street Park Conservation Area: CLOSED to fishing for, harvesting, and possession of fish and shellfish.

5 Colvos Passage Marine Preserve: Area enclosed by a line starting at extreme low water 300’ SW of the southern boundary of Sunrise County Park, Pierce Co. (latitude 47°20.9’N) due east 300’, then southwesterly paralleling the shoreline for 500’, then west to the extreme low water line, then northeasterly along extreme low water line to point of origin, CLOSED to all harvest, except salmon trolling allowed.

6 Commencement Bay: Waters east of a line bearing 215° true (195°30’ magnetic) from the Cliff House Restaurant on north shore (approximate position 47°17.85’N, 122°25.90’W) through Sperry Ocean Dock (approximate position 47°16.43’N, 122°27.37’W) Before fishing, review the Washington State Department of Health fish consumption advisory map or call 1-877-485-7316 for the latest health and safety guidelines.

7 Saltwater State Park Marine Preserve: Those waters, bedlands, and tidelands of Saltwater State Park within a line projected from the northernrmost marker at the DNR high tide line through 122°19.65’W, 47°22.42’N; then to 122°19.74’W, 47°22.44’N; then to 122°19.77’W, 47°22.36’N, then to 122°19.68’W, 47°22.34’N; then to the southernmost marker on the shoreline and back along the high tide line to the northermost marker, CLOSED to all harvest.

8 Les Davis (Octopus Protection Area): CLOSED to the harvest of octopus.

9 Redondo Beach (Octopus Protection Area): CLOSED to the harvest of octopus.

10 Three Tree Point (Octopus Protection Area): CLOSED to the harvest of octopus.