Slot Limit Regulations For Bass

The Washington State Pond Jumperz strongly support the catch and release of bass in our Northwest lakes. With that said, we understand that some anglers like to eat bass and they are permitted to do so in our state. We do not discriminate against those who wish to harvest bass as long as they do it with in the regulations the WDFW set forth.

Catch limits are a common regulation in the fishing community. When fishing for bass, there are other regulations that many anglers are unaware of. The majority of lakes in Washington are managed by a restriction to the size of a bass that can be harvested. These restrictions are known as Slot Limits. The slot limit requires release of bass within a certain size range, or "slot." For largemouth bass, that size range is currently 12" to 17" inches; only bass shorter than 12 inches, or longer than 17 inches can be kept, with only one fish longer than 17 inches allowed in the daily limit of five largemouth bass. For smallmouth bass, only one bass over 14" may be retained in the daily limit of ten smallmouth bass. Bass may be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until a daily limit is in possession.

The WDFW have started posting posters at many of departments managed boat launches that state the rules associated with the harvest of bass. These orange signs are starting to show up at many of the lakes that we fish. At this time the state does not have full coverage of all the lakes that are covered by these regulations. if a sign is not visible, please do not assume that this means these regulations do not apply to that particular body of water. If you are planning to eat the bass you catch, please respect our bass fishery by following the regulations set forth by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. When you fish for bass, assume that the lake you are fishing has a slot limit in effect. Some bodies of water are exempt from the slot limit regulation. Some bodies of water are exempt from the slot limit regulation. Check the current fishing regulations to find out if your local lake is exempt from these rules