When is smallmouth bass season in Washington?

Washington keeps smallmouth bass open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What is the Washington bag limit for smallmouth bass?

The Washington daily bag limit for smallmouth bass is Lakes / ponds / reservoirs: 10 / day, no minimum size, only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained. Rivers / streams / beaver ponds: no size or daily limit. Columbia River mouth → Chief Joseph Dam (545 mi): all daily + size limits suspended (WDFW invasive-removal rule, effective March 3) to increase harvest of non-native bass that prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead.. The possession limit is No possession limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia invasive-removal reach; on lake waters the daily limit governs harvest.. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

What size smallmouth bass can you keep in Washington?

The Washington size rule for smallmouth bass is No minimum size statewide. In lakes / ponds / reservoirs only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained (quality-protection rule). No size limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia mainstem invasive-removal reach.. Slot limit: Lakes / ponds / reservoirs — only 1 smallmouth bass over 14 in may be retained within the 10-fish daily limit (protects larger fish); no upper-size protection in rivers or the Columbia invasive-removal reach.. Trophy rule: The Columbia River basin (Columbia + Snake mainstems + Lake Roosevelt + Banks Lake + Potholes Reservoir) is one of the West's premier smallmouth fisheries; because non-native smallmouth prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead, WDFW manages them for removal on the rivers + the Columbia mainstem to Chief Joseph Dam (no limits) while protecting larger fish on lakes via the 1-over-14-in rule..

Do you need a license to fish for smallmouth bass in Washington?

Yes. Washington requires a valid fishing license to fish for smallmouth bass, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Washington license — compare resident and non-resident Washington fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for smallmouth bass in Washington?

Yes. In Washington, smallmouth bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; bait, lures, and flies all permitted on most bass waters; Live bait restricted on listed bull trout + salmon-steelhead conservation reaches (Skagit + Sauk + Stillaguamish + Cascade + Olympic Peninsula); No daily or size limit applies on the Columbia mainstem from the mouth to Chief Joseph Dam and on rivers / streams / beaver ponds statewide (WDFW invasive-removal rule); WDFW Fishing License required ages 15+ ($29.50 res Freshwater / $124 NR Freshwater); Confirm current-year WDFW Sport Fishing Regulations for water-specific exceptions + emergency rules.

Do specific Washington waters have different smallmouth bass rules?

Yes. 5 named Washington waters carry rules that override the statewide smallmouth bass regulation, including Columbia River, Snake River, Lake Roosevelt, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Washington Smallmouth bass 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

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Last updated May 30, 2026

Washington smallmouth bass fishing centers on the Columbia River basin — one of the West's strongest smallmouth fisheries. The Columbia + Snake river mainstems and their reservoirs (Lake Roosevelt + Banks Lake + Potholes Reservoir + Moses Lake) hold dense smallmouth populations, with the Hanford Reach + Tri-Cities + lower Snake dam reservoirs (Lower Granite + Little Goose + Lower Monumental + Ice Harbor) producing trophy fish. Smallmouth are non-native in Washington, and WDFW manages them on the Columbia + Snake under an invasive-removal framework: these warmwater predators eat out-migrating juvenile salmon + steelhead that are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, so WDFW has removed all size and daily limits on bass in rivers / streams / beaver ponds statewide and — effective March 3 — on the entire Columbia mainstem from the mouth 545 miles upstream to Chief Joseph Dam, to encourage harvest. On lakes / ponds / reservoirs the statewide rule keeps a 10-fish daily limit with only 1 smallmouth over 14 in retained, a quality-protection rule that lets bigger fish accumulate on still waters (Lake Washington + Potholes + Moses Lake + the Columbia Basin seep lakes + Yakima River pools). There is no closed bass season — smallmouth are open year-round statewide.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide (no closed bass season). Lakes / ponds / reservoirs 10 / day no minimum with only 1 over 14 in retained; rivers / streams / beaver ponds no size or daily limit; the Columbia mainstem from the mouth to Chief Joseph Dam has all bass limits suspended for invasive removal.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: Lakes / ponds / reservoirs: 10 / day, no minimum size, only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained. Rivers / streams / beaver ponds: no size or daily limit. Columbia River mouth → Chief Joseph Dam (545 mi): all daily + size limits suspended (WDFW invasive-removal rule, effective March 3) to increase harvest of non-native bass that prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead.
Possession: No possession limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia invasive-removal reach; on lake waters the daily limit governs harvest.

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No minimum size statewide. In lakes / ponds / reservoirs only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained (quality-protection rule). No size limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia mainstem invasive-removal reach.
Slot: Lakes / ponds / reservoirs — only 1 smallmouth bass over 14 in may be retained within the 10-fish daily limit (protects larger fish); no upper-size protection in rivers or the Columbia invasive-removal reach.
Trophy rule: The Columbia River basin (Columbia + Snake mainstems + Lake Roosevelt + Banks Lake + Potholes Reservoir) is one of the West's premier smallmouth fisheries; because non-native smallmouth prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead, WDFW manages them for removal on the rivers + the Columbia mainstem to Chief Joseph Dam (no limits) while protecting larger fish on lakes via the 1-over-14-in rule.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; bait, lures, and flies all permitted on most bass waters
Live bait restricted on listed bull trout + salmon-steelhead conservation reaches (Skagit + Sauk + Stillaguamish + Cascade + Olympic Peninsula)
No daily or size limit applies on the Columbia mainstem from the mouth to Chief Joseph Dam and on rivers / streams / beaver ponds statewide (WDFW invasive-removal rule)
WDFW Fishing License required ages 15+ ($29.50 res Freshwater / $124 NR Freshwater)
Confirm current-year WDFW Sport Fishing Regulations for water-specific exceptions + emergency rules

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Washington waters:

Columbia River
All daily + size limits on smallmouth bass suspended from the mouth upstream 545 mi to Chief Joseph Dam (WDFW invasive-removal rule effective March 3); non-native bass prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead
Snake River
River reach — no size or daily limit (invasive-removal framework); strong smallmouth fishery in the Lower Granite + Little Goose + Lower Monumental + Ice Harbor dam reservoirs
Lake Roosevelt
Grand Coulee Dam reservoir above Chief Joseph Dam (outside the no-limit reach) — statewide lake rule: 10 / day, no min, only 1 over 14 in; co-managed with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation + Spokane Tribe of Indians
Banks Lake
Grand Coulee pump-storage reservoir — statewide lake rule 10 / day, no min, only 1 over 14 in; noted WDFW smallmouth + walleye tournament water
Potholes Reservoir + Moses Lake
Columbia Basin Project reservoirs — premier mixed bass + walleye + panfish waters; statewide lake rule 10 / day smallmouth, only 1 over 14 in

Official source

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) publishes the authoritative 2026 Washingtonfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The smallmouth bass rules on this page are sourced from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)'s official smallmouth bass regulation page.

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Emergency-order channel

Smallmouth bass closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Washington trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is smallmouth bass season in Washington?: Washington keeps smallmouth bass open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Washington bag limit for smallmouth bass?: The Washington daily bag limit for smallmouth bass is Lakes / ponds / reservoirs: 10 / day, no minimum size, only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained. Rivers / streams / beaver ponds: no size or daily limit. Columbia River mouth → Chief Joseph Dam (545 mi): all daily + size limits suspended (WDFW invasive-removal rule, effective March 3) to increase harvest of non-native bass that prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead.. The possession limit is No possession limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia invasive-removal reach; on lake waters the daily limit governs harvest.. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size smallmouth bass can you keep in Washington?: The Washington size rule for smallmouth bass is No minimum size statewide. In lakes / ponds / reservoirs only 1 smallmouth over 14 in may be retained (quality-protection rule). No size limit in rivers / streams / beaver ponds or the Columbia mainstem invasive-removal reach.. Slot limit: Lakes / ponds / reservoirs — only 1 smallmouth bass over 14 in may be retained within the 10-fish daily limit (protects larger fish); no upper-size protection in rivers or the Columbia invasive-removal reach.. Trophy rule: The Columbia River basin (Columbia + Snake mainstems + Lake Roosevelt + Banks Lake + Potholes Reservoir) is one of the West's premier smallmouth fisheries; because non-native smallmouth prey on ESA-listed juvenile salmon + steelhead, WDFW manages them for removal on the rivers + the Columbia mainstem to Chief Joseph Dam (no limits) while protecting larger fish on lakes via the 1-over-14-in rule..
Do you need a license to fish for smallmouth bass in Washington?: Yes. Washington requires a valid fishing license to fish for smallmouth bass, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Washington license — compare resident and non-resident Washington fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for smallmouth bass in Washington?: Yes. In Washington, smallmouth bass fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; bait, lures, and flies all permitted on most bass waters; Live bait restricted on listed bull trout + salmon-steelhead conservation reaches (Skagit + Sauk + Stillaguamish + Cascade + Olympic Peninsula); No daily or size limit applies on the Columbia mainstem from the mouth to Chief Joseph Dam and on rivers / streams / beaver ponds statewide (WDFW invasive-removal rule); WDFW Fishing License required ages 15+ ($29.50 res Freshwater / $124 NR Freshwater); Confirm current-year WDFW Sport Fishing Regulations for water-specific exceptions + emergency rules.
Do specific Washington waters have different smallmouth bass rules?: Yes. 5 named Washington waters carry rules that override the statewide smallmouth bass regulation, including Columbia River, Snake River, Lake Roosevelt, and 2 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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