L et me see if I have all this straight. You haven’t dug a clam? You haven’t seen an orca? You haven’t picked a wild lowbush blueberry? You haven’t caught a trout?
Then, Sir or Madame, I say shame on you. You obviously have not adapted to the Northwest lifestyle.
It is still not too late, however, to alter your dissolute ways. You could make a good start by joining 300,000 of your fellow Evergreen staters early Saturday morning, fishing rod in one hand and a jar of Power Bait in the other, for opening day of Washington’s general (lakes) trout season.
You will find opening day – the largest single sporting event in the state each year – to be more a social happening than a fishing trip. Sort of an Easter Parade of aluminum cartoppers, or a Skagit Tulip Festival in hip boots. It will be crowded. It will be verbal. It will be slightly chaotic but, and trust me on this, you will have a highly enjoyable time. Particularly if you take a kid with you.
You might even go home with a few plump rainbow for dinner. But if you do, that would be icing on the cake. The real value of this family-oriented spring tradition is the opportunity to mingle with a wide array of like-minded folks in a healthy outdoor setting. To spend quality time with a family member or two. And it probably wouldn’t hurt if you caught a larger trout than anyone else around you, so you could hold up your 5-pound lunker and say pleasantly, to no one in particular, “Geez – I wonder how that happened?”
Hee, hee, hee.
You can’t beat the ticket prices to this piscatorial hoedown. Annual adult resident licenses go for $21.90, seniors (70 and older) and 15-year-olds fish for $5.48, and young people 14 and under hit the lakes free. All licenses can be purchased over the Internet at http://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov; by telephone (1-866-246-9453), or at dozens of sporting goods stores, tackle shops and marinas in the area. License sellers will also supply free copies of the fishing regulations pamphlet, and a state Department of Fish and Wildlife Vehicle Use Permit. The permit must be displayed by visitors parking at department fishing access sites.
The WDFW prints a handy recreational fishing guide, which lists current prospects, fishing spots by county, and a lot more information, titled Washington Fishing Prospects; Where To Catch Fish in the Evergreen State. It’s available at the Mill Creek regional WDFW office, phone 425-775-1311, or on the department Web site, above.
Generally, rivers, streams and beaver ponds do not open to fishing until June 1. The daily limit on lakes opening Saturday is five trout, with no minimum size restriction.
Don’t know how to fish? Stop at any tackle shop in the area this week – they’re in the yellow pages -m, and ask. These folks are more than happy to tell you how to do it, and you don’t even have to buy anything.
Looking for larger trout? The state’s “triploid” planting program has expanded again, to 62,000 fish from 51,000 last year (see the accompanying planting schedule), and these specially-raised rainbow will average a pound and a half each. There will be no multi-pound brood stock ‘bows planted from state hatcheries in this region this year, however.
Another large-trout opportunity is available on two year-around lakes, thanks to a cooperative private program sponsored by the Snohomish Sportsmen’s Club and the Everett Steelhead and Salmon Club. The group buys pen-raised triploid rainbow and stocks them in Flowing Lake (northeast of Snohomish) and Blackman’s Lake (on the north edge of Snohomish) in increments of 500 fish for each lake, over a schedule of six plants, two weeks apart. The first plant was made during the first week of March, and the last will be made Tuesday, consisting of about 400 fish in the 11- to 14-inch range, 50 to 75 in the 3- to 5-pound range, and a couple of dozen in each lake, each plant, going 5 to 10 pounds or better.
No boat? The Puget Sound area has 57 public fishing piers on various waters, many providing access for persons with disabilities. Contact the WDFW’s Angler Education office in Olympia at 360-902-8310 for a map of these sites.
Have kids? North Gissberg Pond, immediately adjacent to I-5 just south of Smokey Point, is a juveniles-only lake, heavily stocked with hatchery rainbow (including some of the lunker private triploids), and offering parking, toilets, easy access to the water, and a lot of room for kids to play.
Opening day prospects
Trout anglers in Western Washington have been blessed with two very good opening days in succession, averaging about three trout per person in Region 4 (this area) both years. Warmer weather last week could well have pushed water temperatures up to the active feeding range for hatchery trout being planted, and this opener could be another good one.
Following is a thumbnail rundown on a selection of area lakes, and their prospects:
Can’t-miss lakes: The blue ribbon no-brainers here produce limits of fat rainbow year after year, for almost anyone with at least a hint of how to fish them. The short list includes lakes Erie, Heart and McMurray in Skagit County, and Lake Ki in Snohomish County.
Erie and Heart are simply the best opening day trout lakes within a reasonable driving distance, every year. Located between Anacortes and Deception Pass, the pair will again provide limits for all hands. Both will receive 10,000 “superior” rainbow going a half-pound each, and 12 to 14 inches in length, about the same plant as last year. Anglers on the 2004 opener averaged 4.29 fish per person on Erie, and 4.62 per person on Heart.
McMurray, on Highway 9 between Arlington and Sedro-Woolley, produced 3.8 trout per rod on the 2003 opener, and 3.4 per person last year. It will again get a big plant of 16,000 prime foot-long ‘bows, going a half-pound or better apiece. McMurray always pulls a big crowd and, because of a smallish access and limited parking, that can present problems. Many who fish the lake regularly skip the opener and hit it over the following couple of weeks, when fishing is just as good and the pressure is way down.
Lake Ki is managed as the showpiece opening day water in Snohomish County, and will again get a generous plant of 15,000 rainbow, all the superior fish. Ki had an outstanding opener last year, producing an average of 4.71 rainbow per angler, with many fish released. Located in the Seven Lakes area between Smokey Point and Warm Beach, the lake has a small, tight, crowded access along the Lakewood/Warm Beach road, with limited parking and very little bank fishing access.
Very good lakes: This list includes lakes which are a little less consistent than the blue ribbon waters, but which can often be just as good. It includes lakes Sixteen, Armstrong, Howard, Riley, and Martha (Alderwood Manor).
Lake Sixteen is a small water east of Conway in Skagit County which has had three good openers in a row, but which doesn’t always. Last year’s average was a good 3.51 fish per rod, and this year’s plant of 6,000 rainbow will be the same as last year’s. This year’s plant, however, has been jacked back up to the superior-size fish, after one season of standard “catchable” 8- to 10-inchers.
Armstrong and Howard are two small lakes which have had excellent openers recently. Armstrong put out one of the best averages in Snohomish County last year, at 4.07 rainbow per person. The plants will be about the same as last year – 3,500 in Howard, and 5,000 in Armstrong, all the foot-long superior hatchery stock. Armstrong, just off Highway 9 north of Arlington, often draws a crowd, and its small, steep access can be difficult.
Lake Riley is a small, marshy lake east of Arlington, off the Jim Creek Road. It seems to be weather dependent to a degree, and success rates can vary widely from year to year. It’s had three excellent openers in a row, however, and could well repeat. The success rate last year was 3.5 trout per rod and the plant of 3,000 superior rainbow is the same as the past two years. Very little bank fishing access here.
Martha Lake in Alderwood Manor came on strong last opening day, with an average of 3.0 trout per person, the best success rate in several years. Popular lake with a county park on the south end and good dock fishing opportunity. Small launch and limited parking.
Others: Lake Bosworth, in the Granite Falls area, has been up and down the past several years, posting a pretty good 2.7 fish per rod average last year. The plant of 7,000 catchables and 2,000 superiors is the same as last year.
Clear Lake and Lake Campbell, in Skagit County, are both year-around waters, and both are good bets for elbow room and larger fish. Clear got a plant of about 1,100 state triploids, 1- to2-pounders, and Campbell got 600 of the same fish.
Cascade Lake, on Orcas Island, would make a nice little ferry ride destination, as a pretty lake with a newly renovated trout fishery. Good prospect.
Storm is a fair prospect, on a plant of 8,000 catchables and 2,000 superiors, and an improved success rate last year of about 2.1 fish per person.
Lake Padden, just south of Bellingham, is a long drive but one of the very best prospects around for kids, families, seniors and casual anglers. It has lots of public access, a good, clean bottom, and a bunch of fat, prime rainbow, easy to catch.
Lake Martha (Warm Beach) a year-around water managed as a trophy fishery, offers big brown trout and a large plant of state triploids each spring.
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