Washington › Fishing › Rockfish Identification
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Special Rules - Rivers & Lakes
- Puget Sound & Coastal Rivers Special Rules: A-C
- Puget Sound & Coastal Rivers Special Rules: D-K
- Puget Sound & Coastal Rivers Special Rules: L-R
- Puget Sound & Coastal Rivers Special Rules: S-Z
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: Columbia River
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: A-C
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: D-K
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: L-N
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: O-S
- Columbia Basin Rivers Special Rules: T-Z
- Westside Lakes Special Rules: A-E
- Westside Lakes Special Rules: F-P
- Westside Lakes Special Rules: Q-Z
- Eastside Lakes Special Rules: A-F
- Eastside Lakes Special Rules: G-P
- Eastside Lakes Special Rules: Q-Z
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Rockfish Identification
All rockfish caught in Marine Areas 6-13 must be released immediately. See https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-ha...
Yelloweye Rockfish
Orange-red to yellow body color, bright yellow eye, and fins may be tinged with black. Raspy ridges above eye, rear of anal fin vertical. Also called rasphead rockfish and red snapper. Typically the largest species of rockfish.
Vermilion Rockfish
Body dark red and mottled gray. Red mouth and underside of jaw is rough. Fins may be edged with black. Anal fin rounded.
Copper Rockfish
Body variable in color with light colored stripe along the rear of the lateral line. Two dark bars radiating from eye.
Bocaccio Rockfish
Body orange, olive, or brown. Large mouth extending past rear of eye, and projecting lower jaw.
Black Rockfish
Body black or grey in color. Also called seabass and black bass. Large mouth, rounded anal fin.
Canary Rockfish
Bright orange or yellow body, mottled with grey. Fins are orange without black edge. Three orange stripes across the head. Chin smooth to the touch. Anal fin sharp and angular.
Yellowtail Rockfish
Olive green body with yellow-green fins. May have knob at tip of lower jaw. Rear edge of anal fin vertical.
Tiger Rockfish
Body pink to red with five red to black vertical stripes. Strong ridges between eyes. Two dark bars radiating from eye.
Blue/Deacon Rockfish
Body is blue or black. Forehead has several diagonal bars. Has a small mouth. The anal fin is
vertical or slanted posteriorly.
Quillback Rockfish
Body brown with yellow mottling. High fin on back with yellow mottling. Have freckles on head and throat. Two light saddle patches on top of back.
China Rockfish
Body blue or black spotted with yellow and white. Prominent yellow stripe extending from top of back to along lateral line to caudal fin.
Widow Rockfish
The head is short, with a small mouth. Adults are various shades of brown to orange. Smaller fish are lighter.
Photos courtesy of Steve Axtell, and Victoria Okimura