A smallmouth bass swims near the inlet of Whatcom Creek in Bellingham. The image was originally shared in a local community group as a fish identification question. (Photo courtesy of Rick Holmes, used with permission)
OUTDOOR
REPORT
BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Salmon season isn’t just what’s printed in Washington’s printed rulebook, and right now, some of the most important fisheries in the region are either already open or quietly on deck.
A limited spring Chinook fishery is actively underway on the Skagit River, while biologists signal a possible emergency opener on the Nooksack River — something that hasn’t happened in years.
Both are products of the North of Falcon process finalized just weeks ago. And both highlight a reality many anglers learn the hard way: if you’re not watching Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife emergency rules in real time, you can miss the season entirely.
Active Now — Skagit Spring Chinook
The Skagit fishery, which opened April 20, runs through May 15 and allows anglers to target hatchery spring Chinook along a defined stretch of river.
Area: Highway 536 bridge in Mount Vernon upstream to Gilligan Creek
Limit: 2 hatchery Chinook per day, 12-inch minimum
Rules: Hatchery fish only · Wild Chinook and all other species release immediately · Night closure in effect
The opening is based on forecasted returns to Marblemount Hatchery and WDFW is monitoring it in real time. Closures or rule changes remain possible, especially if catch rates exceed expectations or if conflicts arise with tribal fisheries. When this fishery ends, WDFW biologists say another is set to be announced further upriver.
Nooksack Emergency Fishery — Something That Hasn’t Happened in Years
WDFW biologists say they are preparing for a potential emergency spring Chinook fishery on the Nooksack River, something that has not occurred in many years. If it materializes, it will likely be short in duration and announced only through emergency rules, not the printed pamphlet.
This comes just weeks after state and tribal co-managers finalized the 2026–27 salmon seasons through the annual North of Falcon process. The framework sets the stage, but in-season decisions determine the actual fishing calendar.
The Nooksack spring Chinook stock has been among the most constrained in Puget Sound. Low returns forced difficult tradeoffs during negotiations this year. WDFW Director Kelly Susewind acknowledged the challenge directly, saying, “A continued low abundance of some Puget Sound Chinook stocks made planning recreational fisheries especially difficult, but our staff worked hard to create meaningful opportunities where possible.”
LAKES: THE QUIET CONSTANT (AND THE BACKUP PLAN)
While anglers wait on salmon openings, lakes across Whatcom and Skagit counties are already producing fish this week.
Most lakes in the region are open under fixed rules, and many are year-round fisheries for bass and other game fish.
In Skagit County, lakes like Big Lake and Clear Lake are open year-round for smallmouth and largemouth bass with no minimum size and liberal daily limits.
In Whatcom County, lakes like Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, and smaller regional waters are open now for bass and panfish under those same statewide frameworks. The most popular lakes for bass include Sunset Pond, Lake Terrell, Lake Fazon and more.
That includes systems connected to salmon habitat, like Whatcom Creek, where a recently shared photo of a smallmouth bass highlighted just how active non-salmon species already are.
Right now, that means one thing for local anglers.
Trout aren’t the only species that are biting today.
Not in the Pamphlet — and Easy to Miss
The Skagit opening highlights a recurring problem for anglers across Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. North of Falcon sets the overall framework.
However, many river fisheries never appear in the printed sport fishing pamphlet, especially on systems like the Skagit and Nooksack. The pamphlet provides baseline and special rules.
Emergency updates define what is actually open. That gap trips up anglers every year. It is most noticeable when opportunity depends on in-season biological decisions made on short notice.
WDFW’s MyWDFW app is the most reliable way to track emergency openings in real time. Users can tap on any body of water and see if it is open and for which species. The process takes seconds and can prevent a wasted trip. For anglers in Whatcom and Skagit counties, checking the app daily is essential. It is the only way to know what is actually open.
Puget Sound 2026-27 — Similar but Constrained in Places
The broader Puget Sound season structure will look familiar to anglers who fished last year, though some Chinook windows are shorter. Low returns of key stocks — including Nooksack spring Chinook, Snohomish and Stillaguamish summer/fall Chinook, and Snohomish wild coho — forced difficult tradeoffs. However, the process also produced some notable gains:
2026-27 Puget Sound Season Highlights
- Additional two weeks of summer Chinook fishing in Bellingham Bay
- New terminal fishery in eastern Marine Area 7 (San Juan Islands)
- Return of April Chinook fishing in Marine Area 5 (Sekiu and Pillar Point)
- Expanded non-mark-selective coho opportunities across Puget Sound marine areas and the lower Columbia River — potentially the highest coho catch in more than two decades
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Chairman Ed Johnstone pointed to forces beyond the negotiating table as the core challenge: “In spite of our efforts, climate change and pinniped predation continue to be the greatest threat to salmon recovery. We had record flooding last winter, which scoured out the escapement and spawning we achieved through conservation.”
Johnstone noted the compounding pressures: “Scientists are predicting a record El Niño this winter, bringing more warm, wet weather, and each summer we are seeing persistent marine heat waves out in the Gulf of Alaska where our fish feed to grow to maturity. Adding insult to injury, if our fish survive all of that, they are being eaten by seals and sea lions that have learned to come upriver and target our most vulnerable runs.”
In Other WDFW News
Invasive newts seized in Whatcom County. WDFW Police referred charges to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office last week after seizing 16 illegally trafficked newts from an Everson man. The Anatolia and marbled newts — both prohibited Level 3 invasive species — were traced to a Boston dealer importing federally prohibited amphibians from Europe, some carrying an unknown pathogen not previously detected in the United States. The case originated from a larger federal investigation involving 300 to 500 amphibians and reptiles held in a facility affiliated with the University of Massachusetts. The Everson man faces two counts of Unlawful Use of Invasive Species in the second degree, a gross misdemeanor. WDFW Aquatic Invasive Species Division Manager Justin Bush said the coordinated response “prevented the introduction and spread of a high-risk invasive species and a potentially devastating amphibian pathogen in Washington.”
Waterproof license paper going away. Due to a global shortage of petroleum-based materials, WDFW and its 600 license dealer locations will stop selling waterproof, tear-resistant licensing paper as early as May 13. Anglers can print standard licenses at home or at a dealer, or switch to mobile licensing through the MyWDFW app. Nearly 100,000 customers have already made the shift to mobile licensing this year. Note: a known app issue currently prevents mobile license holders from printing their Vehicle Access Pass — in the meantime, write your confirmation number and license plate number on paper and place it on your dashboard.
Resources for Anglers
North of Falcon 2026 — season summaries and agreed fisheries
WDFW app support: appsupport@dfw.wa.gov or 360-902-2464, Option 1
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t ALL salmon fisheries appear in the printed pamphlet?
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