Free Fishing Weekend is June 6–7, offering an opportunity for people across the state to fish without buying a license. Licenses are still required to fish for or harvest salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, halibut, and all shellfish. All other fishing rules and regulations still apply. “Free Fishing Weekend gives people an easy opportunity to fish.” said Kirt Hughes, with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “You don’t need to be an expert or own a boat to get started. There are lakes, shorelines, and fishing piers across the state where people can get out and give it a try.” Some of the best statewide opportunities for Free Fishing Weekend include rainbow trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and other game fish. In 2026, WDFW staff are stocking 15.5 million trout and kokanee in more than 500 lowland lakes statewide. Anglers can find trout stocking information on WDFW's website. Lake-fishing anglers can also participate in the Trout Derby, with tagged trout stocked in more than 100 lakes and hundreds of prizes available. You can find out if a lake has been stocked with tagged trout, go to the WDFW website and click on the Trout Derby page.