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. OutdoorHub 03.15.13. Fish Lake, Leavenworth, WA. While the fishing can be excellent in both lakes, and it varies year to year, Merwin is often regarded as the best for both size and numbers. June is the prime month here, and kokanee tend to be 30 or 40 feet down, sometimes shallower early in the day. This month alone, tens of thousands of rainbow trout were supplied to Snohomish County. While Washingtons record is about half that worlds best size, a nearly 37-pound trout is nothing to sneeze about. But, they do feed predominantly near or just off the bottom. There may be no other lake in Washington that more consistently produces big kokanee salmon than Lake Chelan. Night fishing is allowed on Loon Lake, and fishing for kokanee after dark is popular among local anglers, many of whom jig with glow-in-the-dark jigs tipped with maggots. They can reach 45 inches in length, but are usually much smaller. But both are deep and cold, and reward anglers who troll for kokanee. Chelan County. In the past, Tims Ponds stocked tens of thousands of rainbow averaging 0.5 lbs. Kokanee at Lake Roosevelt tend to hold a little shallower than in many lakes, often within 10 to 20 feet of the surface, especially in spring. Get a Head Lamp with White and Red Light. Less known are the rivers excellent smallmouth bass and walleye fisheries. Dozens of lakes, primarily on the west side of the state, will be or have already been stocked in the leadup to Black Friday on Nov. 25 this year. The trout, which is extremely popular in the state among people who enjoy fishing, was designated as the state fish back in 1969. Start at the state park. There are a small handful of lakes that match that description in Washington where these jumbo-sized cutthroat species can thrive. Westslope cutthroat trout Gavin Boggs of Davenport, Washington, was fishing Lake Roosevelt with a buddy on Feb. 11 when he hooked something heavy in deep water. There are three primary species of cutthroat trout found in Washington. The best time to be on the water is in the morning. The official world record for a sport-caught lake trout is 72 pounds, but even larger lakers have been recorded. Armed with this advice choose wisely which waters you intend to fish. Maybe youd rather match the hatch on moving water? The states heaviest gator on record was taken in 1989, weighing 1,043 pounds. Those ages 15 and older need to buy an annual fishing license. ), Alder Lake (also shared with Thurston and Lewis Counties), WDFW Fishing and Stocking ReportsWDFW Fishing RegulationsNational Weather Service forecasts, 11 Best Kokanee Fishing Lakes in Washington, Kokanee Fishing: Simple How-To Tips and Techniques. Best Spots for Fly Fishing In Washington State In general, the state is most well-known for its salmon, steelhead, and trout fishing opportunities. 1. Jigging can also be very productive for putting kokanee into the boat quickly, if you know what youre doing, and a few anglers tempt them still-fishing with bait. Typical kokanee here run around 12 inches, with some well into the teens. Fish Lake is one of the regions most popular fishing spots, catch your quota of brook trout, rainbow trout and tiger trout. These days, the lake is better known for kokanee. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. You do not need a license if you are fishing for common carp, crawfish, bullfrogs, or collecting relic shells. Kokanee But in some Washington lakes its possible to catch them up to 20 inches and weighing up to 3 pounds. The famous Lake Chelan in recent years has been stocked with generous numbers of these cutthroat trout, and cutthroat of excellent size are being caught. Technically another char species, brookies have quite taken to clear and cold streams and lakes in Washingtons more mountainous areas, where they reproduce and at times can threaten native species by outcompeting them. Washington anglers have an amazing variety of trout to catch in a landscape that ranges from moss-draped temperate rain forests on the Olympic Peninsula to scorched desert near the Idaho border. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Expect a boatload of fish in the 10 to 12 inch range, with a few in the 16 to 18 inch class. Search for stocked lakes near you by entering your zip code or address. You could call it a kokanee craze. Oftentimes the best bite is right around sunset. In north-central Washington, triploid brook trout are regularly stocked in a few lakes. In a year of good returns, over 1 million Chinook, coho and sockeye salmon, and summer steelhead travel up the river to spawn in its tributaries. Get notified by email right after a lake near you has been stocked! If youd like to dive deeper into these deep-running freshwater salmon, read Kokanee Fishing: Simple How-To Tips and Techniques. For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should visit the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website. According to the Fishbase online database Rainbow trout inhabit water between 0 and 200m (656ft) The source of this maximum depth is from the Catalog of marine and freshwater fishes of the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. Its an enormous impoundment on the Columbia River, stretching 150 miles from Grand Coulee Dam into Canada. In fact, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has also stocked channel cats in dozens of lakes. However, these triploids will run their course unless more are stocked. Additional east-side lakes with some mackinaw reported are Bonaparte Lake in Okanogan County and Horseshoe Lake in Pend Oreille County. American Lake. Kachess Lake has also been stocked with cutthroat trout. Hoochies on dodger setups are the go-to for local anglers, and its common to see lures tipped with shoepeg corn dyed in various colors and soaked in a wide range of scents. The warmer it gets, the more fishing pressure from other anglers, the thicker the grass and brush surrounding their habitats and the lower the water levels. The official state fish of Washington is the steelhead trout , which is scientifically known as Salmo gairdnerii. The lake gets its name from the naturally occurring foam that gives its water a soapy appearance, and because the lakes mineral-rich waters have a slick, soapy feel. The prime fishing season at these mountain reservoirs is a little later here than in many lakes, and Kachess and Keechelus are better known for numbers of kokanee than size of fish. Lake Merwin is a little larger at over 3,800 acres, and has been heavily stocked with kokanee by WDFW. Some of the lakes recently stocked include Island Lake in Kitsap County; Island, Lost, Nahwatzel, and Spencer lakes in Mason County; Lake Sylvia in Grays Harbor County; and Gibbs, Teal and Leland lakes in Jefferson County. Lake Sacajawea stocked a total of 15 10lb rainbow, last on December 15th, 2022. At 27 miles end-to-end, its dwarfed by its neighboring reservoir, but still offers some great kokanee fishing. This plan provides information on where and how many trout WDFW plans tostockinlakes and streams around the state. They also are present in a small number of Olympic Peninsula high mountain lakes. But theres a great under-the-radar kokanee fishery here as well. In winter, try the area between the Narrows and Twenty-Five Mile Creek, and work your way downlake as the weather turns toward spring. Bobbers (or, floaters) Swivels, to keep fishing line from twisting. In Eastern Washington, Westslope cutthroat trout also are found in both native and stocked populations, especially on the eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains and across the mountains of northeastern Washington. The Herald brings our community together in sometimes surprising ways. . Loon Lake is open seasonally, from the 4th Saturday in April until October 31st. 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. Smallmouth bass Anglers 15 years and older must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2023, to participate. Rock Lake is situated one hour south of Spokane. Hitting your local lake offers a great alternative to the chaos of Black Friday.. However, the populations in most coastal streams are wild. Also, there are several brood. Statewide hatchery trout and kokanee stocking plan This plan provides information on where and how many trout WDFW plans to stock in lakes and streams around the state. Adult rainbow trout and steelhead range in size. If youre 12 years old or over, dont even think about casting a hook without one, Yes! Residents and non-residents alike must have a license to fish or shellfish in Washington waters Everyone age 15 and older needs a fishing license. At first he thought the fish was a big walleye. Visit in May or June if youre looking to fill your cooler with pan-sized kokanee. Several species of bullhead catfish also inhabit lakes, ponds and rivers across the state. Officials insist pollution from derailment not harming animals in Pa. Get an email alert when lakes near you get stocked! Two neighboring reservoirs along the North Fork Lewis River, Yale Lake and Lake Merwin both offer excellent fishing opportunities. Pierce County. The prime fishing season on most of these Washington kokanee lakes is May through July, but there are spots that offer some pretty good early season or late summer angling as well. Anglers willing to brave the cold often catch them 100 feet down over 400 feet of water in the dead of winter. At 1,091 acres, American Lake gets busy on summer weekends. A full list of participating lakes is available at wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby/lakes. The boating dock is located at the northeast shore. Look for venders at wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/dealers. That puts it a little off the radar, but the public can fish Omak Lake with a tribal permit. Fingerling brook trout have been stocked since 1976, and fishing has been permitted since 1979. In Snohomish County, the lakes with tagged trout are Lake Ballinger, Bosworth Lake, Lake Ki, Martha Lake, Riley Lake, Silver Lake and Storm Lake. Kokanee feed primarily on plankton. Brown bullheads are the most common. Bigger isnt always better, but for Washingtons longest river, it is. The largest stocked rainbow in the last 6 months weighed in at 10 lbs at Do you need a fishing license for catch and release in Washington? Trout season lakes open April 23; thousands of fish planted in Grays Harbor/Pacific counties April 20, 2022 7:09AM PDT The Washington trout season begins on Saturday, April 23, and hundreds of lakes will have catchable trout stocked. Lake Riley is a bog lake located in the Cascade Mountain foothills about 10 miles northeast of Arlington. In each case, the response is similar: alligators require tropical and warm environments. Kokanee are actually a landlocked form of sockeye salmon, known for fighting above their weight class while sharing the sockeyes supreme reputation for table fare. Weighing 1,043 pounds collect information to provide customized ads visit in may or june if youre to. Great kokanee fishing: Simple How-To Tips and Techniques world record for sport-caught... 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