Heres another non-native char, though it hails from the other side of the country in the Great Lakes and up into Canada, rather than the other side of the globe. Lake trout like cold, deep lakes with abundant sources of food. (The big lake remains a hot spot for kokanee and bass fishing, however.). 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. I-82 Pond 4 stocked a total of 30 10lb rainbow, last on December 2nd, 2022. Many anglers also add a flasher or dodger to their line to add some extra attraction while trolling. German brown trout, have made their home in a fair number of Washingtons lakes and streams, thanks both to stocking programs and natural reproduction in some waters. The Thanksgiving weekend is one of the best times of year to go fishing in Washington, and its also a great time to introduce visiting friends or relatives to the joy of fishing, said Steve Caromile, inland fish program manager with WDFW. These days, the lake is better known for kokanee. Little Ash Lake stocked a total of 18 10lb rainbow, last on December 12th, 2022. Expect a boatload of fish in the 10 to 12 inch range, with a few in the 16 to 18 inch class. In fact, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has also stocked channel cats in dozens of lakes. Potholes Reservoir. Lake Tapps. At 1,486 feet, lake Chelan is the third-deepest lake in America, even deeper than the great lakes. Start at about 0.6 mph and slowly speed up your trolling until you start getting bites. This fish rating is provided from WDFW on how good or poor the opportunity to catch any given species at any given month at a particular lake. Washington State Fishing Lake offers numerous camping areas along the east side of the lake. But in some Washington lakes its possible to catch them up to 20 inches and weighing up to 3 pounds. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Where is the biggest trout in Washington? Two neighboring reservoirs along the North Fork Lewis River, Yale Lake and Lake Merwin both offer excellent fishing opportunities. Visit WDFWs lowland lakes page for more information on these and hundreds of other lakes throughout the state. 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. July 21, 2022by Cristopher Gilmore 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 Chelan. Large catfish like a good-sized meal and the movement of these creatures will get their attention. Fishing for kokanee salmon has exploded in popularity. Or try our advanced Washington fishing lake finder - search for any species of fish, filter by stocked lakes only, lake amenities and more. 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. 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. South Central Washingtons Best: Yakima River The Yakima is without a doubt considered by most veteran anglers to be the best trout fly fishing river in Washington, and its one of the only trout streams in the state that fly fishermen from Oregon and Idaho will travel to Washington to fish. Less known are the rivers excellent smallmouth bass and walleye fisheries. Lake Roosevelt is more properly known as Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake. Need a fishing license? As rods and poles returned, so did the Department of Fish and Wildlifes annual statewide trout derby to motivate those inclined with bait and tackle. What Is The Most Versatile Type Of Fishing Rod? At first he thought the fish was a big walleye. Klineline Pond stocked a total of 26 10lb rainbow, last on December 28th, 2022. Theres a 10-fish limit on kokanee in both lakes. Monofilament recovery and recycling program. In winter you may need to focus your efforts a little deeper. Lures or flies. OutdoorHub 03.15.13. The blog quickly gained a following, thanks to Brent's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the sport. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 18-inch kokes are possible in both lakes. The lake also freezes most winters, making it a popular ice fishing destination for a variety of fish. Lake Riley. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Users of the data should be aware that it takes aminimum of 2 yearsfor fish to grow to harvestable size post stocking. We calculated the density of stocked fish per acre based amount of fish stocked in the last 12 months, divided by the acreage of the lake. Most specially regulated trout waters are closed to taking fishbait and baitfish at all times. Loon Lake is arguably the best. Kokanee typically measure 10 to 14 inches and weigh about a pound. It measures 183.8 acres, and is largely undeveloped. 1. Pierce County. 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. Spokane area anglers should also keep an eye on Chapman Lake. Where is the best fishing in Washington State? 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: Typical kokanee here run around 12 inches, with some well into the teens. This is one gauge of how likely you are to catch a rainbow on average, if you're trolling on the lake for a couple hours. The official world record for a sport-caught lake trout is 72 pounds, but even larger lakers have been recorded. Bigger isnt always better, but for Washingtons longest river, it is. 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. If not, youre still like to catch brook, rainbow or cutthroat trout along the way. They can weigh more than 50 pounds (22 kilograms), but a more typical weight is 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms). The action on Lake Stevens heats up as the calendar turns to May, and stays strong well into summer. Theres a solid late winter/early spring koke season here too. Some reliable spots to catch them often include Beehive and Lily lakes in Chelan County and Bonaparte, Crawfish and Lost lakes in Okanogan County. Its probably the most likely place in Washington to catch kokanee salmon that cross the elusive 20-inch mark. Know when, how many, and how big fish are stocked. Using a rod with a flexible tip is important because kokanee have very soft mouths, and can easily be damaged when hooked. Kachess Lake has also been stocked with cutthroat trout. In northeastern Washington, Sacheen Lake in Pend Oreille County, Fish Lake in Spokane County and Deer Lake and Madgett Lake in Stevens County are among lakes stocked with good numbers of typical brookies. Several school districts delayed classes after 1 or 2 inches fell in most areas. The boating dock is located at the northeast shore. 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. He has since expanded the blog to include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your catch. Brown bullheads are the most common. Fish beware. Property has a cleared site for b. They are most often found in size #10-#12 sometimes even an #8 sized fly. They can reach 45 inches in length, but are usually much smaller. April 20, 2022. 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. Fishing straight down with jigging spoons like a -ounce Gibbs Minnow or Bomber Slab can be one of the most enjoyable ways to fish because you really get to feel the bites. Soon, new trees will sprout in its place. Trout can be found in Washington lakes and rivers year-round, with fishing season usually beginning around April and ending in the fall Common species include brook, brown, cutthroat, lake and rainbow trout. The kokanee population at Banks Lake is fueled largely by abundant stocking from WDFW. 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. Depths from 15 to 40 feet are productive early in the season, but you may need to set your sites as deep as 60 feet in summer. Kokanee may be within 10 to 30 feet of the surface in spring and early summer, but they tend to drop down deeper during the dog days of July and August. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Deputies said a confrontation with a homeowner led to the shooting. Use a live bait float to target the top half of the water column During the hot summer months, Trout are deeper and typically further from shore. What follows are our carefully curated selection of the very best kokanee lakes in Washington. Fish Lake is one of the regions most popular fishing spots, catch your quota of brook trout, rainbow trout and tiger trout. The state stocks both Kachess and Keechelus lakes with generous numbers of kokanee salmon, totaling hundreds of thousands of fish most years. Juanita Point is well-known as one of the top spots on Lake Washington for trophy trout. Generally, Ive organized this overview by trout species, including those that are easily caught across wide stretches of Washington, plus some that will take some more doing to find and catch. Another eastern U.S. native, Eastern brook trout are widely dispersed around Washington. Stocking: May 13, 2022 Rainbow 2500 @ 0.54lbs. But Washington also has some tremendous fisheries for wild rainbow trout. Try tolling at about 1.4 to 1.6 mph, and dial it down if the fish seem to prefer a slower presentation. Another was once rumored to be swimming around Lake Washington in 2005. Within Washington state a number of lakes in the Olympic and Cascade Mountains have been stocked since the early 20th century. 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. Keep an eye on Chapman Lake and tiger trout the northeast shore is largely! 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