Fishing in Washington

Nooksack River Fishing Regulations

Whatcom County, Washington · 2026 size limits, bag limits, and seasons

Nooksack River is a river in Whatcom County, Washington. It has its own fishing regulations for 19 species, including Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, and Chinook Salmon, set separately for 2 sections of the river. These rules replace Washington's statewide limits on this water.

19 species with limits2 sections with their own rules
Official Washington regulations ↗Washington statewide limits →Washington license costs →

Map of Nooksack River

Aerial map of Nooksack River, Whatcom County, Washington
48.7748, -122.5991Directions ↗

Fish with special rules on Nooksack River

Tap a fish for identification tips, size records, and the best bait.

Atlantic Salmon illustration

Atlantic Salmon

12" min · 6/day

Brook Trout illustration

Brook Trout

See rules below

Brown Trout illustration

Brown Trout

See rules below

Chinook Salmon illustration

Chinook Salmon

12" min · 6/day

Chum Salmon illustration

Chum Salmon

2/day

Coho Salmon illustration

Coho Salmon

12" min · 6/day

Cutthroat Trout illustration

Cutthroat Trout

See rules below

Golden Trout illustration

Golden Trout

See rules below

Nooksack River limits by species (2026)

From the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the yellow marker at the FFA High School barn in Deming

SpeciesSize limitDaily bagSeason
All Fish Species––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Atlantic Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Oct 27, Aug 1 – Sep 30
Brook Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Brown Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Chinook Salmon12" min6Aug 1 – Sep 30, Oct 1 – Oct 27
Chum Salmon–2Oct 1 – Oct 27
Coho Salmon12" min6Aug 1 – Sep 30, Oct 1 – Oct 27
Cutthroat Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
14" min–Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Golden Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Hatchery Chinook SalmonHatchery fish only–2Oct 1 – Oct 27
Hatchery SteelheadHatchery fish only20" min2Dec 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Hatchery fish only––Aug 1 – Nov 30 · Closed
Lake Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Other Game Fish––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Pink Salmon12" min6Aug 1 – Sep 30, Oct 1 – Oct 27
–4Oct 1 – Oct 27
Rainbow Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Sockeye Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Oct 27, Aug 1 – Sep 30
Steelhead––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Wild Chinook SalmonWild fish only–Catch & release onlyAug 1 – Sep 30, Oct 1 – Oct 27
Wild Coho SalmonWild fish only–1Oct 1 – Oct 27
Wild Rainbow TroutWild fish only14" min–Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31

From yellow marker at the FFA high school barn in Deming to confluence of North and South forks

SpeciesSize limitDaily bagSeason
All Fish Species––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Atlantic Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Dec 31
Brook Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Brown Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Chinook Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Dec 31
–2Oct 1 – Dec 31
Chum Salmon–2Oct 1 – Dec 31
Coho Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Dec 31
Cutthroat Trout14" min–Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Golden Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Hatchery SteelheadHatchery fish only20" min2Dec 31 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Hatchery fish only––Aug 1 – Nov 30 · Closed
Lake Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Other Game Fish––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Pink Salmon–4Oct 1 – Dec 31
12" min6Oct 1 – Dec 31
Rainbow Trout––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Sockeye Salmon12" min6Oct 1 – Dec 31
Steelhead––Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31
Wild Coho SalmonWild fish only–2Oct 1 – Dec 31
Wild Rainbow TroutWild fish only14" min–Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31

– means no limit is listed for this water. Rules not shown here follow Washington's statewide regulations.

Plan your Nooksack River trip

Washington fishing regulations →

Statewide size limits, bag limits, and seasons for every species.

Washington fishing license →

Costs for residents and non-residents, and where to buy.

All Washington waters →

Every Washington lake and river with its own fishing rules.

Nooksack River fishing: common questions

What fish have special regulations on Nooksack River?

19 species have rules specific to Nooksack River: Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout, and Golden Trout, and 11 more.

What is the atlantic salmon limit on Nooksack River?

Atlantic Salmon must be at least 12" to keep on Nooksack River (from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the yellow marker at the FFA High School barn in Deming), and the daily bag limit is 6. Season: Oct 1 – Oct 27, Aug 1 – Sep 30. Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.

What is the brook trout limit on Nooksack River?

No size limit is listed for Brook Trout on Nooksack River (from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the yellow marker at the FFA High School barn in Deming). Season: Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31. Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.

What is the brown trout limit on Nooksack River?

No size limit is listed for Brown Trout on Nooksack River (from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the yellow marker at the FFA High School barn in Deming). Season: Aug 1 – Dec 31, Jan 1 – Jan 31. Rules differ across 2 sections of the river.

Is Nooksack River catch and release?

Some rules on Nooksack River are catch and release only, covering Wild Chinook Salmon. Check the table for the section and dates that apply.

Do Washington statewide fishing rules apply on Nooksack River?

Where Nooksack River has its own rule for a species, that rule replaces the statewide limit. For species not listed on this page, Washington's statewide regulations apply. Regulations are set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; confirm with the official 2026 regulations before keeping a fish.

Other Washington waters with special regulations

All Washington waters →

Take Nooksack River rules on the water

Identify your catch, check if it's a keeper, and log it. CatchVault is on iOS, with Android on the way.

Download on theApp Store