The Olympic Peninsula is surrounded by saltwater on three sides. In addition, there are many streams and rivers coming out of the Olympic Mountains, and coursing over the Valley, as they run to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Our native freshwater fish include rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout, whitefish, and Beardslee trout (known only to exist in Lake Crescent!). Fish which use both fresh and saltwater are anadromous fish. We have all five species of Pacific salmon (chinook, coho, chum, sockeye, and pink), plus steelhead, sea-run cutthroat trout, and sea-run dolly varden.
Recreational harvesters and divers can enjoy the clams, oysters, crabs, scallops, shrimp, and abalone which thrive in our tidal waters.
Out in the Strait and in the ocean, among the salmon, killer (Orca) whales, dolphins, and seals, we have Pacific Ocean perch, petrale, Dover and English sole, lingcod, true cod, halibut, flounder, herring, surf perch, many types of rock fish, hake, dogfish, skate, ratfish, and more. We also have octopus, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and the largest variety of starfish found anywhere in the world!
Fishing can be enjoyed from private or charter boats in the Strait, Bays and Ocean; from river banks or drift boats; from boats in Lake Crescent; or from the ocean beaches, with a stout surf fishing rod.