Marine Area 8
Marine Area 8-1 - Deception Pass, Hope Island, and Skagit Bay
(From West Point to Reservation Head eastward through Deception Pass, including all waters of Swinomish Slough and Skagit Bay, and the portion of Saratoga Passage north and west of a line from East Point Light to light on Camano Island (Saratoga Pass light #4 FI Red 4 Sec))
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, 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 |
Check the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/re... or call (360) 902-2700 in April 2022 for information on Pacific halibut seasons and regulations. No min. size. Daily limit 1. Annual limit 4. Descending device required onboard vessels. |
|
Other Food Fish |
Year-round |
No min. size. Daily limit 2 of each species. See Definitions. |
All Other Fish |
CLOSED |
CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. |
Salmon |
||
Entire Area |
Aug. 1-Sept. 19 |
No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook and chum. |
Bottomfish |
||
Year-round season. Daily limit is a total of 15 bottomfish (see Definitions) subject to individual limits and seasons shown 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. |
Marine Area 8-1 Map

Deception Pass (Octopus Protection Area): CLOSED to the harvest of octopus.
Marine Area 8-2 - Port Susan and Port Gardner
(East of East Point Light-Camano Island Light line (described in Area 8-1) and north of the Possession Point-Shipwreck line)
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 |
Check the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/re... or call (360) 902-2700 in April 2022 for information on Pacific halibut seasons and regulations. No min. size. Daily limit 1. Annual limit 4. Descending device required onboard vessels. |
|
Other Food Fish |
Year-round |
No min. size. Daily limit 2 of each species. See Definitions. |
All Other Fish |
CLOSED |
CLOSED to fishing for, retaining, or possessing. |
Salmon |
||
Tulalip Terminal Area Fishery (see 3 below for boundaries) |
May 28-Sept. 6, 2021 |
Open Fridays through Noon Mondays ONLY. Chinook - min. size 22". Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2. See Tulalip Bay Closure below. Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. |
Sept. 11-Sept. 26 |
Open Saturdays and Sundays only. Chinook - min. size 22". Other salmon species - no min. size. Daily limit 2. See Tulalip Bay Closure below. Anglers may fish with two poles with Two-Pole Endorsement. |
|
Summer Salmon Fishery |
Aug. 14-Sept. 19 |
No min. size. Daily limit 2. Release Chinook, chum, and wild coho. |
Bottomfish |
||
Year-round season. Daily limit is a total of 15 bottomfish (see Definitions) subject to individual limits and seasons shown below. See Tulalip Bay closure 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. |
Marine Area 8-2 Map

Summer Salmon Fishery: Aug. 14-Sept. 19: Fishing for salmon limited to the area south and west of a line between Clinton and Mukilteo fishing pier, and select dates within the Tulalip Terminal Area Salmon Fishery.
Tulalip Bay Closure: Closed to all fishing east of a line from Mission Point to Hermosa Point.
Tulalip Terminal Area Salmon Fishery: Waters west of a line from Mission Point to Hermosa Point and contained within 2,000' off shore between the pilings at Old Bowers Resort (48°02.88'N, 122°16.42'W) to 2,000' from shore (48°02.63'N, 122°16.79'W) and north to 2,000' from shore (48°04.36'N, 122°19.06'W) of the boundary marker approximately 1.4 miles north of Hermosa Point (48°04.57'N, 122°18.64'W). May 28-Sept. 6, 2021 and Sept 11-Sept. 26: see Tulalip Terminal Area Fishery above for rules.