Lakes and Rivers of Skagit & Whatcom Counties

Here you will find a growing list of the fishing lakes and rivers of Whatcom and Skagit Counties. This section is a work in progress so check back often for new entries. The goal is to provide useful information to help plan a successful fishing trip. If there is a lake or river that you don't see here and would like to or you would like to submit an overview of a particular body of water please email us at admin@fishwhatcom.com.

General statewide rules are as follows:
Rivers, streams and beaver ponds are open from the first Saturday in June-Oct. 31st.
Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs are open to fishing from game fish year round unless listed otherwise.
These rules are subject to change so always check the fishing regulations at www.wdfw.wa.gov for the complete regulations and special rules before fishing in any area.

Many of the fishing lakes in Whatcom and Skagit Counties are stocked periodically throughout the year with catchable size trout. Several lakes, such as Squalicum lake in Bellingham include Triploid trout, or large hybrid trout in the 1-1.5 pound range too.  
Link to the WDFW stocking report. Click Here
Link to WDFW Stocking report 2010 PDF: Click Here
Link to the WDFW Triploid Trout information. Click Here

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Whatcom County

Whatcom Rivers

Nooksack River      
California Creek
Clearwater Creek
Dakota Creek
Whatcom Creek
Johnson Creek  
Fishtrap Creek   

Whatcom Lakes

Anderson Lake
Baker Lake 
Bear Paw    
Cain Lake
Canyon Lake
Church Lake  
Diablo Lake
Fazon Lake  
Fragrance Lake
Hozomeen Lake 
Judson Lake
Lake Louise
Mosquito Lake  
Newhalem Ponds 
Lake Padden
Palmer Lake
Pangborn Lake
Pine and Cedar Lakes
Reed Lake
Ross Lake

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Skagit County   

If you have information on any of these Rivers or Lakes please send us an email: admin@fishwhatcom.com

Skagit Rivers

Baker River     
Cascade River 
Skagit River 
Samish River
Sauk River 
Suiattle River

   

Skagit Lakes  

Beaver Lake
Big Lake
Campbell Lake
Clear Lake  
Lake Cavanaugh
Day Lake  
Erie Lake  
Granite Lakes
Heart Lake  
Lake McMurray
Pass Lake
Shannon Lake
Sixteen Lake
Vogler
Whistle Lake

Marine Area 7 - The San Juan Islands

Map

Marine area 7 includes Bellingham bay, Samish bay, Padilla bay and the majority of the San Juan islands. Fishing regulations vary between different parts of Marine area 7, so it is advised that you carry a current wdfw regulations book which includes a map and regulations for each area. There are some closures to protect certain species of fish as well as different opening dates for various areas.

For the most part, Salmon fishing starts in July and runs through the end of October. There is a winter Blackmouth, or resident Chinook salmon, fishery that runs from December through the end of April. Popular methods for fishing for salmon in the saltwater include trolling, mooching, and jigging. Each method has its advantages and is suited best for different situations.

Bottomfish including Lincod and Halibut opens in the spring. Lingcod and Halibut seasons are relatively short and only run from May 1 – June 15^th. There is a slot limit in effect for Lingcod so all fish below 26” and above 36” must be released. Lingcod and Halibut are best caught by jigging off the bottom with lures or bait, but can also be caught by trolling and often are caught incidentally while trolling for salmon. Lead jigs with plastic tails or trailers, Pt. Wilson Darts, Buzz Bombs, and other jigs all work well. Also, bait such as herring can be fished near the bottom for Lingcod and Halibut.

Rockfish are now closed to fishing so there is a strict no catch policy regarding all species of rockfish. There are a multitude of other types of bottomfish that can be caught including, cabezon, greenling, and more. All rockfish including the Yelloweye and Canary are protected and must be released so please check the special rules for each area you are fishing. There is a 20 fathom depth restriction when bottom fishing which limits the depth that you can fish at when targeting bottomfish except for Halibut. This rule applies to Lingcod but not to Halibut or Salmon fishing.

Crabbing and prawning are also popular in the San Juan islands. There is a summer and winter crab catch season available in Marine area 7. Crab bait varies from fish heads and chicken parts to bagged herring. Pretty much anything that has a strong smell and will hold up under water for an extended period of time will work to catch crab. Make sure to mark your float with your personal information, and be sure to plan for tidal variations in how much rope you have attached to your pot. You don’t want to put your pot out in 90 feet of water if you only have 100 feet of rope because if the tide comes up your float could go under water. Also, something to keep in mind is using decomposable strings to tie the door shut on your crab pot. That way if your pot does become derelict, the strings holding the door shut will rot away and any crabs left in the pot will be able to escape. Every year derelict pots continue to kill and waste hundreds of crab. If you get the crab catch record card on your license, be sure to return the summer and winter card to the WDFW or face a $10 fine on next year’s license. It’s easy to do online.

San Juan islands Marine area 7 fishing spots map

View Marine Area 7 Puget Sound (San Juan Islands) Fishing in a larger map