Home / Sports / December's Fishy Wish List: Your WA Fishing Guide
December's Fishy Wish List: Your WA Fishing Guide
2 Dec
Summary
- Washington offers diverse December fishing: trout, clams, steelhead, and whitefish.
- Razor clam digs scheduled through early January 2026.
- Winter crabbing remains productive across Puget Sound's Marine Areas.
Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife has unveiled a diverse "fishy wish list" for December, offering numerous fishing and shellfishing prospects across the state. Anglers can pursue sea-run cutthroat trout in South Puget Sound's various water bodies, with specific advice on tides and ideal locations. Fly and hardware suggestions are provided, emphasizing the requirement for barbless hooks in marine recreational fisheries.
The 2025-2026 razor clam season continues with scheduled digs through early January 2026, though diggers must monitor conditions and approvals. For steelhead enthusiasts, the upper Skykomish River and Tokul Creek are highlighted, while the Cowlitz River remains a draw for coho and steelhead. Eastern Washington offers trout fishing in spring creeks and potential for Yakima River catches. Lake whitefish on Banks Lake are also recommended as an overlooked, tasty winter fishery.
Winter crabbing in Puget Sound remains a strong option, with detailed information on open Marine Areas and daily limits. Crabbers are also asked to watch for tagged Dungeness crabs as part of ongoing studies. The WDFW also points to other fisheries like Rufus Woods triploid rainbow trout, Eastside burbot, and winter Chinook in South Puget Sound, alongside recent jumbo rainbow trout stockings.
