Where to Go Fishing With Kids Around Seattle
Free Fishing Weekend and fishing license info
It’s Free Fishing Weekend Saturday–Sunday, June 10–11, 2023! During this weekend, anglers of any age do not need a fishing license to fish in Washington state. Read the website carefully, as other rules, such as season openings and catch limits, still apply. (At all other times, everyone ages 15 and older needs a fishing license. See below.)
Fishing license info
Kids who are ages 14 and younger do not need a fishing license to fish in the state of Washington, unless they are fishing for common carp, crawfish, bullfrogs, smelt or unclassified marine invertebrates. Anyone age 15 and older must carry a current recreational fishing license.
Note that rules differ for shellfish, and if youths ages 14 and younger are fishing for halibut, salmon, steelhead, sturgeon or Dungeness crab, they are required to have a catch record card to track and report what they catch.
Health tip: Also, if you’re planning on eating the fish you catch, be sure to check the Washington Department of Health fish advisories for the latest info on contaminant levels.
Up next: Gear and tips on fishing with kids
