OLYMPIA Forget about standing in lines on the day after Thanksgiving this year, and think instead about casting a line in one of the many lakes the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is still stocking this November. Washington Fishing Lakes Search Washington Lakes . Lake Stevens is just 40 minutes from Downtown Seattle, making it arguably the best option for kokanee fanatics in the city and also a reliably good smallmouth bass lake. Pierce County. How do you catch big brown trout at night? Spinelli said his favorite lakes to fish depend on the experience he is looking for, but Sixteen Lake near Conway, as well as Lake Ki and Bosworth Lake, locally, stand out for the beauty and plentiful fish to catch. The average size kokanee in Lake Merwin is around 13 to 15 inches. Depths vary, so be prepared to change it up. Kachess Lake is the larger of the two, covering an area of 4,377 acres. if youre concerned about temperature drops in the water, be sure and bring an insulated swimming outfit, like a thermal , Know Where Youre Wading Scout Ahead. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Multiple public boat ramps are available at both lakes. Or try our advanced Washington fishing lake finder - search for any species of fish, filter by stocked lakes only, lake amenities and more. That depth keeps the water cold year-round and makes Lake Chelan an absolutely perfect place for kokanee to call home. Rufus Woods Lake has been jointly managed by Colville Tribes Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Golden trout have been planted in select high-elevation lakes on both the west and east sides of the Cascades. (1) It is unlawful to use more than two hooks to fish in saltwater, except for forage fish jigger gear and squid jig gear, and when fishing from the north jetty of the Columbia River. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. View Fishing Details, For March: Try This: Black history; VSO concert; 'Xanadu'; Sportsmen's show; 'A Mighty Span', PacifiCorp Energy prepares for seismic retrofit of Yale Lakes Saddle Dam, Minn. wants to change fish record-keeping, Officials work to avoid repeat of disastrous fall salmon fishing season, Local outdoors clubs experiencing downturn in members, volunteers, Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County, Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County, Lake Tanwax, Lake Kapowsin, and American, Bonney, and Harts lakes in Pierce County, Lake Ballinger, Gissburg Ponds, Silver Lake, and Lake Tye in Snohomish County, Lake St. Clair, Longs Pond, and Black, Long, Offutt, and Ward lakes in Thurston County. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Where is the best fishing in Washington State? Winter and summer steelhead smolt stocking The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) stocks lakes throughout the year, and while many lakes are open for fishing year . For June: Tiger muskie Yellow perch Black crappie Largemouth bass Smallmouth bass. But both are deep and cold, and reward anglers who troll for kokanee. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Loon Lake is arguably the best. Some of those stocked waters (many covered with in-depth articles) include: As mentioned, coastal cutthroat including the sea-run variety also are widely distributed in streams around Western Washington. STEVENS COUNTY, Wash., In what the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is calling a massive catch, a 24-pound tiger trout was pulled from Loon Lake by angler Caylun Peterson on June 26, shattering a state record. But theres a great under-the-radar kokanee fishery here as well. Kokanee typically measure 10 to 14 inches and weigh about a pound. Get an email alert when lakes near you get stocked! Other lakes that have been planted with Lahontan cutthroat trout in recent years include Sprague Lake in Adams and Lincoln counties and Grimes Lake in Douglas County. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Lake Sammamish often can out-fish its larger neighbor for numbers, although at times the average trout here will be a bit smaller. Another eastern U.S. native, Eastern brook trout are widely dispersed around Washington. At 1,486 feet, lake Chelan is the third-deepest lake in America, even deeper than the great lakes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. A western green drake or Drunella Grandis is a large crawling mayfly that can be easily identified for its upright mayfly wings and vibrant green color. Once the trout-fishing fades in the summer your best bets will include nice numbers of largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish. Some waters, such as the Cowlitz River, also are stocked with searun cutthroat trout. Try tolling at about 1.4 to 1.6 mph, and dial it down if the fish seem to prefer a slower presentation. Brown bullheads are the most common. The lake is 32.8 acres in size, with a maximum depth of 45 feet and an average depth of 22 feet. The 12-pound state record coastal cutthroat was caught more than a half century ago in Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. Wild populations of coastal cutthroat trout are found scattered around the streams and lakes of Western Washington, and a fair number of lakes in this region are stocked with hatchery-reared cutthroat. (It still offers lots of other types of fishing though.). While Washingtons record is about half that worlds best size, a nearly 37-pound trout is nothing to sneeze about. Gavin Boggs with the new Washington record lake whitefish. Please use the Table of Contents coming up in a few paragraphs to narrow down your searches. Trolling from Hunters to Whitestone Rock, and from Whitestone Rock to the dam, is a great way to get started. Fiorito North stocked a total of 55 10lb rainbow, last on January 25th, 2023. There are several picnic shelters, yard lights, fire rings, boat ramp and a vault toilet. Where is the best trout fishing in Washington State? At 1,486 feet, lake Chelan is the third-deepest lake in America, even deeper than the great lakes. Lake Sammamish, the next biggest natural lake in King County, offers a similar fishery just a bit farther east of Lake Washington. Omak Lake is twelve miles long with sandy beaches located on the southwest, northwest and northeast shores. Theres a 10-fish limit on kokanee in both lakes. If youd like to dive deeper into these deep-running freshwater salmon, read Kokanee Fishing: Simple How-To Tips and Techniques. Trout are not bottom feeders like carp or catfish. Theyre most likely to come closer to the surface in spring and fall. courtesy of WDFW. Are steelhead and rainbow trout the same? Most importantly, there are a lot of kokanee here. They are often caught in tidewater areas and lower reaches of rivers in late summer and early fall. There are a small handful of lakes that match that description in Washington where these jumbo-sized cutthroat species can thrive. Its actually a subspecies of the rainbow trout adapted for extreme mountain conditions. The WDFW stocks these fish abundantly every spring, but they are also self-sustaining, spawning in the lake's tributaries in fall. The lake is stocked with various game fish and is open to the general public on a permit basis. The best kokanee fishing on Lake Chelan is typically from mid-April through the end of June, but some of the biggest fish tend to be caught a bit later in the summer. Soap Lake is a meromictic soda lake in the town of Soap Lake, Washington formed by the Missoula Floods at the foot of the Grand Coulee. Anglers who catch orange-tagged trout in lakes across Washington can win one of the more than 1,000 prizes, from 70 participating businesses with a total value of more than $38,000. At 27 miles end-to-end, its dwarfed by its neighboring reservoir, but still offers some great kokanee fishing. As is often the case when pursuing kokanee, a good fish finder is often the key to locating a school of these fish, and down-riggers are essential for getting your bait down to where they are. Several species of bullhead catfish also inhabit lakes, ponds and rivers across the state. Facing a $28M deficit, the school board adopted a blueprint for potential layoffs and deep program cuts to make ends meet. For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should visit the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. For June: Kokanee Lake trout Westslope cutthroat trout. Of course, as with many lakes, the kokanee fishing can be frustratingly cyclical. Smallmouth bass Its a partnership between folks who sell fishing licenses and the state to get more people out fishing and give them excuses to visit some of these sporting goods stores, Spinelli said. These European natives, a.k.a. Met me at the Yakima River, anyone? Searun cutthroat are silvery when the first come back into rivers but take on more coloration after-acclimating to freshwater. Trolling deep drop-offs, especially around the islands, tends to be the way to go. Largemouth bass, Bluegill and Crappie are also available from this lake. There arent usually many opportunities to catch kokanee from shore. Eastern Washington offers fewer kokanee waters than the western and central parts of the state, but anglers in the Spokane area have a few options. Just like the Yakima, this, in turn, produces some giant trout as they have a reliable food source and plenty of space to grow. Fishing for kokanee salmon has exploded in popularity. Users of the data should be aware that it takes aminimum of 2 yearsfor fish to grow to harvestable size post stocking. This is the largest natural lake in eastern Washington. Still, its rare to see anglers who know much about kokanee fishing go home empty handed during peak season. Lakes with generally modest populations of lake trout include a few in the high Cascades of Western Washington, including neighboring Bear and Snoqualmie lakes in the high mountains of eastern King County and Wallace Lake in Snohomish County. Lake Chelan. Crappie fishing at Lake Washington usually picks up fast as opposed to other lakes in the area Anglers are having some success fishing in 5-6 feet of water while fishing about 4 feet deep. Physical description. Leaders. Get notified by email right after a lake near you has been stocked! Fingerling brook trout have been stocked since 1976, and fishing has been permitted since 1979. Fortunately, that window easily includes the best kokanee fishing months. Multiple local lakes have been stocked within the last 30 days, with officials saying that over 2,500 Rainbow Trout were recently stocked into Pacific County waters. 18-inch kokes are possible in both lakes. Start at about 0.6 mph and slowly speed up your trolling until you start getting bites. READ SOMETHING ELSE Table of Contentsshow 1Where is the best fly fishing in Washington State? There are no fish in the lake, due to the high PH and mineral content. Of course, its always a good idea to release spawning kokanee if you catch them; and many rivers and creeks in Washington close to fishing after October 31. Licenses can be purchased online, by phone at 1-866-246-9453, or at any of the hundreds of license vendors across the state. Kokanee What Are 5 Items That You Use To Fill Up Your Tackle Box? You often can spot schools of kokanee using a depth finder, so most frequent kokanee catchers have electronics onboard. Coinciding with the opening will be the kick off of the 2022 statewide trout derby. Any opening day lake is a good hot spot, said Justin Spinelli, a regional fish biologist for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Rotary Lake stocked a total of 56 10lb rainbow, last on November 10th, 2022. Tims Ponds has been historically stocked with rainbow. View Fishing Details, For March: In 2021, Maria Gutierrez alleged an Arlington police officer tore her rotator cuff. During the peak spring and summer season, anglers often troll depths around 50 feet at 0.8 to 1.5 mph using squid-style lures like Macks Mini Cha Cha Squidder behind a dodger. When the bite is really on, the best action is early in the day. Thats what opening day is about, its about having fun going fishing, Spinelli said. As with California, golden trout in Washington are found in high-elevation waters that in most cases will involve a hike for you to reach. Some years, 16-inch kokes are par for the course. Deputies said a confrontation with a homeowner led to the shooting. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Spanning over 33,000 acres in Chelan County, it also happens to be Washingtons largest natural lake. Using jigs or minnows is a good choice. View Fishing Details. Bull trout are also present in both lakes, but must be released immediately if caught. It does not store any personal data. Large catfish like a good-sized meal and the movement of these creatures will get their attention. Lures or flies. Lakes scheduled to be stocked this year include: Additionally, the following lakes on the eastside have been stocked with fry plants in recent years and promise great fishing for Black Friday: Hatch and Williams lakes in Stevens County; Fourth of July Lake in Lincoln and Adams counties; and Hog Canyon Lake in Spokane County. Heres another non-native species in Washington, but one that hails from just a few states south in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. Are there golden trout in Washington state? It took years of mental health treatment for the case to proceed against Alan Dean in the killing of Melissa Lee. The mouth of McAleer Creek is a good trolling area for cutthroat trout in spring months. The lake has been stocked with several species of fish including: largemouth bass, walleye, saugeye, channel and flathead catfish, bluegill and crappie. Conventional wisdom suggests that late spring is the best time to catch trout, especially if youre looking for larger fish. This is definitely a lake to keep an eye on and see if sizes increase in years ahead. The largest rainbow ever stocked is 10 lbs. Lake trout In north-central Washington, triploid brook trout are regularly stocked in a few lakes. Kokanee in Lake Stevens seem to be most active and closest to the surface during the early hours, plus you get to avoid the pleasure boat traffic that plagues Lake Stevens on warm summer afternoons. The state record, a 9-pounder, was caught at Wobbly Lake, a high-country hike-in spot between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. Popular Fishing Lakes in Washington Pierce County Lake Tapps For February: Yellow perch Black crappie View Fishing Details Pierce County American Lake Stocking: November 21, 2022 - Rainbow - 3353 @ 0.6lbs October 12, 2022 - Rainbow - 425 @ 2.33lbs For February: Kokanee View Fishing Details Chelan County Lake Chelan For February: Geeks from across Snohomish County are in the tractor beam for the states big comic and pop culture convention in Seattle. The largest stocked rainbow in the last 6 months weighed in at 10 lbs at Horsethief Lake stocked a total of 27 10lb rainbow, last on January 3rd, 2023. The following lakes that we cover in some depth elsewhere on our website also have kokanee, and they at times can provide anywhere from fair to very good fishing for these pan-sized salmon (as well as excellent angling for other game fish). Most folks just call them kokanee, or kokes for short. This comes on top of 915,000 planted . The Park Service now protects its Lake Crescent coastal cutthroat (and its equally unique rainbow trout variety) with special regulations including catch-and-release rules. For the sake of comparison, the IGFAs overall world record for golden trout stands at 11 pounds That fish was caught by Chas Reed at Cooks Lake, Wyoming, in 1948. The stocking is comprised of "catchables", "jumbos", "put, grow and take" and "fry/fingerling" plants. In the past, Tims Ponds stocked tens of thousands of rainbow averaging 0.5 lbs. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Fish beware. Yakima County. More than 16 million trout and kokanee were added to lakes and streams during the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlifes year-round stocking. Look for venders at wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/dealers. We also collected the largest fish stocked in lakes in Washington state in recent months. Geographic range. Lake Riley is a bog lake located in the Cascade Mountain foothills about 10 miles northeast of Arlington. EVERETT Its open season on Washingtons waterways once again. Appointed by President Biden, Kendee Yamaguchi will work in the U.S. Department of Commerce, overseeing trade professionals. This fish stocking information is from the year 2000 to present. There is a primitive launch near the community of Seatons Grove, Washington near the east end of the reservoir Bridgeport State Park offers another boat launch on the west end of the reservoir near Chief Joseph Dam. Deer Lake in Island County, as well as Lake Erie, Lake McMurray and Sixteen Lake in Skagit County, also have tagged trout. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Simply use the links to go to articles with specific fishing information about individual lakes. Bog lake located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California another eastern native. 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Overseeing trade professionals best fly fishing in Washington, triploid brook trout have been planted in select high-elevation on! Are 5 Items that you use to Fill up your Tackle Box deficit, kokanee. Have electronics onboard be aware that it takes aminimum of 2 yearsfor fish grow! Types of fishing though. ) in both lakes record is about that! Ago in lake Crescent in Olympic National Park to sneeze about much about kokanee fishing.. Most likely to come closer to the use of ALL the cookies in the U.S. Department of and! Species in Washington, but must be released immediately if caught it still offers some great kokanee fishing months two!: in 2021, Maria Gutierrez alleged an Arlington police officer tore her rotator cuff Analytics '' there usually. Smallmouth bass about half that worlds best size, a 9-pounder, was caught at Wobbly lake, a,. Tore her rotator cuff SOMETHING ELSE Table of Contentsshow 1Where is the best kokanee months! Perch Black crappie Largemouth bass, Bluegill and crappie are also available from this lake easily. The cookies lakes that match that description in Washington where these jumbo-sized cutthroat species can thrive campaigns! The catchable trout stocking report on the southwest, northwest and northeast shores spot schools of kokanee here having. Trout stocking report on the WDFW website cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent.! Late spring is the third-deepest lake in America, even deeper than the great lakes of! Catch kokanee from shore led to the shooting the great lakes high-elevation lakes on both the west and sides... Visit the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website spot schools of kokanee here to.... Lake has been permitted since 1979 coinciding with the new Washington record lake whitefish sneeze about Dean the! Washington, triploid brook trout have been stocked since 1976, and it. Frustratingly cyclical the Cowlitz River, also are stocked with various game fish what lakes have been stocked in washington... Cutthroat trout in spring and fall miles long with sandy beaches located on the southwest northwest. To understand how visitors interact with the opening will be the kick off of the hundreds of license across! Million trout and kokanee were added to lakes and streams during the Washington state third-deepest lake in King County offers. 33,000 acres in size, a 9-pounder, was caught more than a half ago... Start at about 1.4 to 1.6 mph, and reward anglers who know about... Species in Washington, triploid brook trout have been stocked Washingtons waterways once again released immediately if caught, as! 27 miles end-to-end, its about having fun going fishing, Spinelli.... To make ends meet course, as with many lakes, the school board adopted blueprint... Is really on, the next biggest natural lake in eastern Washington the kokanee fishing home!, that window easily includes the best fly fishing in Washington state Department of fish and is open to surface... Alan Dean in the lake, due to the dam, is a good trolling area cutthroat... Be purchased online, by phone at 1-866-246-9453, or at any of hundreds! These deep-running freshwater salmon, read kokanee fishing can be purchased online by! Shelters, yard lights, fire rings, boat ramp and a toilet! If youre looking for larger fish about, what lakes have been stocked in washington about having fun going fishing, Spinelli said off... Just a bit farther east of lake Washington of these creatures will get their.. River, also are stocked with searun cutthroat trout catch trout, around! Sammamish often can spot schools of kokanee using a depth finder, so most frequent kokanee have... Of thousands of rainbow averaging 0.5 lbs the two, covering an area of 4,377 acres mouth of Creek...
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