Albacore tuna now running off the coast of Washington

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Albacore tuna have arrived off the Washington coast, bringing more fishing opportunities.

Among the most sought-after fish around the world, albacore can be caught off the Washington coast in summer and early fall. August and September are typically the most popular months, with more tuna and calmer weather, though fishers are already having success this year.

Albacore are most often found in open seas and clear, warmer water. Recreational anglers typically fish 40 to 100 miles offshore, with commercial fishers regularly venturing even farther. Many charter boats target albacore out of Westport and Ilwaco, while independent anglers with large, ocean-capable boats fish out of these ports and occasionally La Push, Neah Bay and Sekiu.

In the United States, the National Marine Fisheries Service manages albacore in cooperation with state fish and wildlife agencies. There’s no minimum size, daily, or possession limit for albacore in Washington. They may be caught by hook-and-line angling, spearfishing, and bow-and-arrow fishing only.

Albacore tend to be found in the “blue water,” a mass of warmer Sea Surface Temperature water typically found off the West Coast of North America during summer and fall, and off Southern California year-round.

Occasionally albacore will come in as close as 30 miles and, on rare occasions, they have been known to come in as close as 15 miles or less.

Recreational albacore trips can last one to three days depending on the distance traveled to the tuna grounds.

The primary methods for albacore fishing off the Washington Coast are fast trolling with plugs, Rapalas, clones (plastic squid), leadhead jigs or other trolling lures, vertical jigging with lead and iron jigs, and live bait fishing with live anchovies on single hooks. Live bait fishing is especially popular and productive when a tuna school is near the surface. Some recreational and commercial tuna fishers also use jack pole and handline setups effectively.

Yellowtail amberjack, bluefin tuna, skipjack tuna, mahi mahi, striped marlin, and other pelagic fish species are sporadically caught by Washington tuna anglers.

State record

52 pounds caught by Kurt Strickland by hook in the Pacific Ocean off of Grays Harbor on Oct. 1, 1997.