Pacific Halibut Fishing on the West Coast
Permitting, seasons, and catch limits for commercial and recreational harvest of Pacific halibut in waters off of Washington, Oregon, and California.
Fishery Management of Pacific Halibut
U.S. Tribal and non-Tribal commercial, recreational, and ceremonial and subsistence fisheries for Pacific halibut off Washington, Oregon, and California are managed as part of the International Pacific Halibut Commission’s (IPHC’s) regulatory Area 2A, shown in the map below. NOAA Fisheries and the Pacific Fishery Management Council manage Pacific halibut in Area 2A under the Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 1982 in coordination with the state departments of Fish and Wildlife and the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. According to the IPHC’s most recent stock assessment, Pacific halibut is not overfished and is fished at the IPHC’s recommended level.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council develops, and NOAA Fisheries implements, a Catch Sharing Plan that allocates percentages of Area 2A’s non-Tribal Pacific halibut quota to the fisheries across West Coast states.
Commercial Fishing Permits and Requirements
Permits and Application Deadlines
NOAA Fisheries issues permits for non-Tribal commercial Pacific halibut fishing, including directed and incidental catch, in and off of Washington, Oregon, and California (IPHC regulatory Area 2A). No person shall fish for Pacific halibut from a vessel, nor possess Pacific halibut on board a vessel, used for commercial fishing in Area 2A, unless they are in possession of a valid paper or electronic permit issued by NOAA Fisheries.
Apply for a Pacific halibut commercial fishing permit
Logbook Requirements
The IPHC requires all vessels greater than 26 feet to maintain logs of halibut catch for 2 years. The IPHC approves the following logbooks to meet this requirement:
- NOAA Fisheries Pacific Coast Groundfish Non-trawl Logbook
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Fixed Gear Logbook
- IPHC-provided logbook
Please see the additional fishing and gear regulations from the IPHC.
Fishing Seasons and Dates
NOAA Fisheries publishes the directed commercial fishing dates following the annual meeting of the International Pacific Halibut Commission in January.
2025 Commercial Fishing Periods and Vessel Limits
NOAA Fisheries will establish additional fishing periods if we project that enough of the allocation will be available following the close of the second period.
Recreational Fishing Permits and Requirements
Annual Pacific halibut catch sharing plan and management measures include season dates, bag limits, and area closures for recreational fisheries:
Recreational Pacific Halibut Fisheries in Washington, Oregon, and California in 2025
Charter Vessel Permit and Application Deadline
NOAA Fisheries issues permits for recreational charter Pacific halibut fishing in and off of Washington, Oregon, and California (IPHC regulatory Area 2A). No person shall fish for Pacific halibut from a vessel, nor possess Pacific halibut on board a vessel, used for recreational charter fishing in Area 2A, unless they are in possession of a valid paper or electronic permit issued by NOAA Fisheries. Applications must be received at least 15 days prior to fishing in the recreational Pacific halibut fishery.
Apply for a Pacific halibut recreational charter vessel fishing permit
State Recreational Fishing Permits and Regulations
In addition to federal regulations, the states of Washington, Oregon, and California have established regulations for the recreational Pacific halibut fishery. Follow the links below for information on permits, season dates and times, gear restrictions and requirements, minimum sizes, and catch reporting requirements in each state:
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife | Recreational bottomfish and halibut
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife | Pacific halibut sport regulations
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife | Pacific halibut
Treaty Tribal Fishing
The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission manages Pacific halibut fishing among the halibut tribes of western Washington.