Fish

Sockeye salmon
Sockeye Salmon

Olympic National Park contains a wide variety of fish habitats and fish assembleges from the to freshwater lake fish, the marine fish and shellfish off the coast, or the anadromous fish which migrate from freshwater rivers to the ocean and back. If rivers are the veins of Olympic National Park, then salmon are the blood coursing through them, delivering essential nutrients from the sea to freshwater and forest ecosystems. The park, with its abundant rainfall and snowy mountains, hundreds of lakes and streams, 10 major rivers and the Pacific Ocean, provides habitat for 37 species of native fish.

Unique Fish
Besides salmon that may travel thousands of miles during their lifetimes, the park also has freshwater fish that spend their whole lives isolated in their home lakes. The tiny Olympic mud minnow of lowland lakes is found nowhere else in the world. The Beardslee and Crescenti trout isolated in Lake Crescent are genetically distinct from their rainbow and cutthroat ancestors. Interested in fishing Olympic National Park waters? Check the park's current fishing regulations before you go.

 

Source: Data Store Saved Search 5669 (results presented are a subset). To search for additional information, visit the Data Store.

 
 

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Man stands by lake with fishing pole.
Fishing Regulations

Olympic National Park supports some of the most extensive runs of wild salmon, trout, and char remaining in the Pacific Northwest.

A female salmon swims underwater.
Catch and Release Fishing

Catch and release fishing improves native fish populations by allowing more fish to remain and reproduce in the ecosystem. Learn more here!

A man stands on a nearly-submerged picnic table at Lake Crescent.
Fishing in National Parks

Find more information about fish and fishing in national parks nationwide.

 
Park biologist plants a fir tree sapling.
Elwha River Restoration

Discover the history and science of the largest dam removal in U.S. history.

A small silver bull trout swims among grey cobbles.
Anadromous Fish

Several species of anadromous fish - fish that migrate from freshwater rivers to the ocean and back - can be found in Olympic National Park.

Last updated: August 1, 2024

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Contact Info

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600 E. Park Avenue
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Phone:

360 565-3130

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