NOAA reopens Washington and Columbia River halibut fishing in August

Recreational halibut anglers off Washington get extra weeks on the water this month, within limits set by a plan that also reserves harvest for treaty tribes and commercial fishermen. The South Coast and Columbia River subareas open seven days a week beginning Saturday, Aug. 8, and Puget Sound and the North Coast open seven days a week beginning Aug. 16. All four run through Sept. 30.

NOAA Fisheries published the inseason notice on July 27 to implement the additional dates, and the National Marine Fisheries Service is scheduled to publish a correction to those dates in the Federal Register on Friday. The notice acts under the framework of the 2026 Catch Sharing Plan final rule for Regulatory Area 2A, effective April 30, which allows inseason reopening in August and September and divides the harvest among tribal, commercial and recreational sectors. Thirteen Washington treaty tribes hold commercial, ceremonial and subsistence halibut fishing rights in the same waters.

The extension is conditional. "The area will be closed when there is not sufficient subarea allocation for another full day of fishing," NOAA Fisheries said, adding it will close any subarea before Sept. 30 if its allocation is projected to be reached. Washington charter operators and coastal fishing businesses depend on predictable, extended seasons to plan trips and bookings, and the risk of an early closure cuts directly into that planning. Treaty tribes represented by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission argue non-tribal seasons must not compromise treaty-reserved harvest rights or the resource they depend on.

Anglers face a one-fish daily limit and must record retained halibut on a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife catch record card. Puget Sound Marine Areas 11, 12 and 13 stay closed to protect threatened and endangered rockfish. The International Pacific Halibut Commission's stock assessment has found the Pacific halibut stock has declined from historical levels and remains vulnerable to overfishing.