Birch Bay spearfishing forecast — wind, swell, visibility, tides & live cameras

spearo.app / United States / Birch Bay
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◈Birch Bay · United States
8.0
wave <0.1 m
visibility~3m

Cleartodive

Dive today — wave <, wind and visibility.

Sources: NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus — high confidence · data 04:41

Sources & confidence

Sources
NWS · NDBC · Open-Meteo · Copernicus
Method
spearo sea-state engine: consensus of up to 6 models + satellite clarity (ZSD) + buoy-bias checks
Freshness
Re-read every hour, per coast

Compiled by the spearo sea-state engine · How it works →

The verdict comes from seven water factors and hard safety gates — not ten tabs. Go or stay.

How we score the water

Our own model

Our own forecast engine — not a third-party widget. It weighs these water factors into one go-or-stay verdict for this coast; the 0–10 dial is that verdict, read out as a number.

01
Swell & wave memory
Height, period and direction of the swell, plus the wake of recent storms — an old storm still stirs the water, and the engine remembers.
02
Wind & gusts
Speed and gusts, hour by hour — wind speed and an onshore push chop the surface and cut visibility.
03
Tide phase
Timing and range of the tide, calibrated per coast — big spring tides pull the verdict toward caution.
04
Water temperature
Sea-surface temperature — sharply cold water vetoes a green verdict.
05
Currents & outflow
Direction and drift of the current — it pushes you, and it drags turbid coastal water across where you dive.
06
Rain runoff & air clarity
Rain muddies the water inshore through land runoff, while fog and haze cut visibility at the surface.
07
Coast shape & exposure
How the coast faces the swell — a sheltered cove keeps the water clean; an exposed, head-on point takes a penalty.

Safety gates

  • Thunderstorm forecast — an instant red, no exceptions.
  • An official warning (MeteoAlarm / IPMA) — yellow, or red for the higher ranks.
  • Missing input data — a would-be green is capped to yellow rather than overstated.
  • Strong disagreement between forecast models — a green day is pulled back to yellow.
  • Night hours — where night spearfishing is banned by law the window is forced red; where it is legal (Australia outside NSW, New Zealand, South Africa) it is capped at yellow, never green.

It all folds into a single 0–10 score and one verdict: go or stay.

A forecast, not a guarantee — the sea has the last word.

Entry pointsNo-take zones

Where to get in, where to hunt

Entry points with coordinates
Seabed relief — promising ground

This verdict — in your pocket. Open the app for the week's window.

Coming soon

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Spots in United States

🇺🇸United States

USA map →

Nearby towns

  • Pender Island
  • Friday Harbor (San Juan Island)
  • Anacortes
  • Horseshoe Bay (Howe Sound)
  • Victoria

Washington

  • Oak Harbor
  • Camano
  • Port Townsend
  • Port Angeles
  • Everett
  • Mukilteo
  • Edmonds
  • Bainbridge Island
  • Seattle
  • Neah Bay
  • Burien
  • Des Moines
  • La Push
  • Artondale
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What's missing? Tell us what you'd like to see — new spots, species, data or features. We read everything.

spearo.app · a private marine instrument · Birch Bay · a planner, not a safety guaranteePrivacy
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0 m

Surface

Wind, wave and the swell windows — when to go and the best hours.

spearo.app
NWS no dataupdated 04:41
Birch Bay — solo, off the rocks
BEST WINDOW
best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist · calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
wave <0.1 mwind 5 km/hvisibility ~3 mwindow 18:00–21:00
today, best window 18:00–21:00
fish · Visibility 3 m · Water 14°C
confidence medium · verdict for the selected day
Best window · next 3 days
gotomorrow · 09:00–12:00
you can see ~3 m ahead fish

↓ low tide 07:28 · slack water ~06:43–08:13 bite times: 09:37–10:37 · 13:30–15:30

Get windows like this by email

Just your email — nothing else needed.

Whole week — tap a day. is driving swell right now.
›
Solo risk: carry a float · tell someone your plan and exit time · doubt = don't go. A model-based planner; the call is made on site.
Selected day

Windows, hours
and the day's trends.

The day is picked above, in the hero. Here are that day's windows, the hour-by-hour map and the trends. Tap a window to break down the conditions.

Monday · today2026-10-12
07:27–18:26 · waxing crescent
▲ 01:00▼ 07:00▲ 13:00▼ 20:00 · 4.1 m
Hours (06→20)
06
09
12
15
18
Day's trends
Tide-0.23 m
Wave0.04 m
Wind8 km/h
Water14 °C
fish activity: moon underfoot 02:10 · high · moonrise 10:07 · moderate · moon overhead 14:30 · high · moonset 18:50 · moderate
Conditions window18:00–21:00
best weather window · solo, stay careful, run the checklist fish
Hs 0.04 m · calmperiod 2 swind 5→11surge 0viz 3 m
0.04 mcalm · up to ~0.08 · 306° at an angle
2 sswell moderate
5→11gusts 11 km/h
0weak surge
0.06m/s
3 mrecent swell
14°Cthicker suit + hood
▼20:00tide turn near
Atmosphere21 kmlandmarks visible
moderatemoonset
  • calm conditions: swell, wind and visibility all normal
  • low water — slack
confidence mediumtwilight
Open the seafloor map with entry points →

Your best window — with you. Forecast in your pocket.

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point your camera
−10 m

The water column

Visibility and what drives it — post-storm clearing, river plume, temperature and the thermocline.

What it is

A marine instrument,
go / no-go for solo hunting.

spearo.app folds wind, wave, swell period, visibility, tides, water temperature and risk into a single verdict — go to the spot or not. It computes 7 days ahead from open marine models (Open-Meteo, IPMA), with no sign-up and no accounts. Built for solo spearfishing off the rocks, where any mistake costs dearly.

Now live: 3016 spots across 406 stretches of coast — mainland Portugal, Madeira and the Azores.

See all spots →
−20 m

The seabed

Relief and bottom type, tides, and the depths of each spot.

On the rock

The forecast is the plan.
The call is on the rock.

The models set the window. Whether you go in is read only at the water: count the sets, watch the surge on the entry. If in doubt, you don't get in.

Entry points

Where to get in
off the rocks.

Scouted entries, coloured by today. The colour is the sea state at the spot, not a guarantee: the wash and a slippery entry you judge on site.

Open the seafloor map →
Birch Bay State ParkBirch Bay
borderline
exposed head-on to the swell today
window
—
Seabed depth of the selected area
≈0.1–1.0 m (bathymetry NOAA CUDEM, 3 m)

Entry from the beach at Birch Bay State Park, 0.6 km out of Birch Bay. Access type in the Washington Ecology data: beach. The marked spot lies about 130 m from the waterline. Depths reach about 1.0 m. Tides are mixed, with two unequal highs a day.

Google Maps

SOLO is the biggest risk: underwater you can black out from lack of oxygen silently and fatally, with no one around. Solo is never truly «safe». Below are the best weather windows; carry a buoy, tell someone your plan and exit time, and any doubt — don't go.

One morning glance — and you know.

Download on theApp StoreGET IT ONGoogle Play
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point your camera
≈

Surfacing

Cameras, map and reference — to hand as you come up.

Live cameras, map & reference
Open the seafloor map →
Reference

What's in season,
what the law says.

In season now
  • greenling
    Hexagrammos spp. · 2–20 m · legal
    Year-round in both states with no minimum size. The trap is the aggregate: it almost always fills a slot you already spent on rockfish — Oregon's 4-fish General Marine Species limit, or the WA area bottomfish aggregate (15 in Puget Sound Areas 9/13, 9 on the coast in Area 2).
  • surfperch
    Embiotocidae · 0–12 m · legal
    Oregon explicitly lists spear among the legal methods ('by angling, hand, bow and arrow, spear…'). Year-round in both states, no minimum size. Bag: OR 15/day in aggregate for all marine perch; WA Area 2 12/day (or 15 shiner perch), not counted in the bottomfish limit. The default shore-dive target when rockfish are closed.
Regulated — check your state
  • lingcod📋 season by state
    The SPEARFISHING window in Puget Sound (Areas 5–13) is its own: spear May 21–Jun 15 only, while hook-and-line opens May 1. There the spear has no minimum but a 36″ (91 cm) MAXIMUM, 1/day. WA coast (Areas 1–3): 2nd Saturday in March–3rd Saturday in October, 2/day. Oregon year-round, min 22″ (56 cm), 3/day.
  • rockfish📋 season by state
    In WA Marine Areas 6–13 (Puget Sound) rockfish are CLOSED outright — unlawful to fish for, retain or possess. That covers Edmonds, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor and Anacortes. Open on the WA coast (Areas 1–4): 7/day in Areas 2 and 4, no yelloweye, seasonal release requirements for copper, quillback and vermilion. Oregon year-round inside the 4-fish General Marine Species limit, canary sub-limit 2.
  • Tacoma (The Narrows)
  • Westport
  • Oregon

    • Astoria
    • Depoe Bay
    • Newport
    • Charleston (Coos Bay)
    • Port Orford
    • Brookings

    California

    • Crescent City
    • Trinidad
    • Eureka
    • Fort Bragg
    • Mendocino
    • Bodega Bay
    • Vallejo
    • San Pablo
    • Corte Madera
    • Berkeley
    • Alameda
    • San Leandro
    • South San Francisco
    • Pacifica
    • San Mateo
    • Half Moon Bay

    Alaska

    • Ketchikan
    • Sitka

    All 367 spots → · spearo.app — All countries

    buoy Neah Bay, WA: 10.5° · 34 min ago

  • cabezon📋 season by state
    Oregon is CLOSED Jan 1–Jun 30, open from Jul 1, min 16″ (41 cm), 1/day inside the 4-fish General Marine Species limit. WA Puget Sound (Areas 9, 13) May 1–Nov 30, min 18″ (46 cm), 1/day. WA coast (Area 2) year-round with the bottomfish season.
  • Pacific halibut📋 season by state
    Both states name spear as legal gear for halibut — WA: 'Hook and line angling and spearfishing only'; OR: 'May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks; and by spear.' It is the biggest legal fish a PNW diver can take. The season is set annually: WA by marine area (check WDFW in April), OR by port-of-landing windows. WA 1/day, 6 per year, Catch Record Card required.
  • Not a target — don't shoot
    • salmon🚫 no-take
      This is a GEAR prohibition, not a stock closure: salmon is an open fishery by rod, but spear is not on the methods list in WA or in OREGON — ODFW lists spear for groundfish, flatfish, surfperch, offshore pelagics and Pacific halibut, never for salmon. WA also restricts white sturgeon to one single-point barbless hook, catch-and-release only, so sturgeon by spear is out in both states.
    Law
    • ✓OR: fishing licence + the new Ocean Endorsement (2026, $9/yr). WA: licence + Catch Record Card for certain species (halibut).
    • ✓This is a GEAR prohibition, not a stock closure: salmon is an open fishery by rod, but spear is not on the methods list in WA or in OREGON — ODFW lists spear for groundfish, flatfish, surfperch, offshore pelagics and Pacific halibut, never for salmon. WA also restricts white sturgeon to one single-point barbless hook, catch-and-release only, so sturgeon by spear is out in both states.
    • ✓Lingcod/rockfish/cabezon/halibut allowed; the diver must swim/float, bang sticks banned. No yelloweye retention.
    • •Puget Sound, WA Marine Areas 6–13: rockfish are CLOSED outright (no fishing for, retaining or possessing), bottomfish fishing is prohibited deeper than 120 ft (37 m), with a 15-bottomfish daily aggregate. That covers Edmonds, Tacoma, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor and Anacortes.
    • •Five Oregon marine reserves are no-take for all fish and invertebrates: Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks and Cape Perpetua. The adjoining allow only troll salmon/crab or shore angling.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Salmon and sturgeon — NOT by spear (hook-and-line only). Yelloweye rockfish: no retention in any WA marine area.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Oregon Marine Reserves and Puget Sound conservation areas — take restricted/prohibited; check the specific site.
    • ⛔ 🚫 Puget Sound (WA Marine Areas 6–13): rockfish closed outright, bottomfish prohibited deeper than 120 ft. 🚫 Oregon marine reserves — Cape Falcon, Cascade Head, Otter Rock, Redfish Rocks, Cape Perpetua — no-take for everything.

    US spearfishing law is state-by-state. License, spearable species, powerhead rules and distances vary; federal sanctuaries (Gray's Reef, the Keys, Flower Garden Banks) ban spearfishing. Always confirm with the state agency and local ordinances.

    Safety protocol
    • Sets: watch the wave trains ≥15 min before entering; Hmax ≈ 2×Hs, the wash can run 50 m past the foam line. A lull >10 min with period >12 s = a big set «overdue», do NOT enter; enter right after a full set passes and re-check at minute 30.
    • Exit FIRST: find your exit AND a backup before entering. On a rocky/boulder shore a 0.5 m rise in swell can make the exit impossible — getting pinned/unable to climb out is the main killer.
    • Headland rip: prominent points often have a permanent topographic rip regardless of the model — locate it, enter/exit on the windward side, never swim against it.
    • Cold: wetsuit per the SST chip; the first shiver = a metabolic surge and a drop in breath-hold → get out at the first steady shiver. Cap the session at 45–60 min below 15 °C.
    • Solo discipline: buoy up; tell someone the spot and exit time; conservative breath-hold (never push it in cold/murky/surfy water); visibility <3 m — don't enter.
    • Afternoon wind: on many coasts the wind builds from midday — plan to be out of the water by midday; the chop builds — get out.
    • UV 11:00–15:00 (UVI ≥6): sunscreen and cover up on the surface interval.
    • Solo is a fundamental risk (hypoxic blackout with no buddy). Any doubt = No-go.

    FAQ — spearfishing in Birch Bay

    Where can I spearfish in Birch Bay?

    Birch Bay has rock entry points such as Birch Bay State Park. On the Washington coast of United States, Birch Bay looks north-west: the local shoreline measures 324°. Below you'll find each spot (access, shelter and hazards) and today's forecast.

    When is the best season in Birch Bay?

    Jun–Sep; lingcod/rockfish/halibut, but salmon and sturgeon are spear-PROHIBITED.

    How cold is the water in Birch Bay?

    Cold, 8–13 °C; kelp and low viz, better in the straits.

    Is Birch Bay good for a beginner?

    Advanced: cold, kelp and low viz; no salmon/sturgeon by spear.

    Do I need a licence in Birch Bay?

    Yes — in Birch Bay almost certainly, but the licence is the STATE's, not a federal one: nearly every coastal state requires its own saltwater fishing licence, and several add a free registration or an extra endorsement on top (Florida's free State Reef Fish Survey for reef fish, Texas's saltwater endorsement, California's Ocean Enhancement Validation). Hawaii asks nothing of residents and charges visitors the NRMFL. What may be speared, and with what gear, is state law too — the price and the details depend on the state, so read the «Law» block below.

    Full guide: spearfishing on the US West Coast →
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