Pick your category: Real high, not so high; long hike, short hike; lots of stunted trout, or a few big ones; rainbow or golden trout. There’s something for everyone in Washington’s high country, including magnificent scenery and great summer fishing.
Start by going online to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage www.wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/highlakes. You’ll find a lot of good information, from high-country fishing tips to lists of plants, beginners lakes, species, and overpopulated waters where you can do a good deed and keep a few fish for dinner.
Other good sources of information include the web sites for two high country clubs, the Washington State Hi-Lakers and the Washington State Trail Blazers.
Lists of “getting started” lakes usually include a short hike or in some cases, access by motor vehicle. A few on this list include, in Skagit County: Slide Lake, cutthroat, at 3,100 feet elevation. In Snohomish County: Byrne, cutthroat and goldens at 5,500 feet; Coal, brook trout, cutthroat, rainbows at 3,400 feet; Janus, cutthroat, 4,200 feet; Serene, Pear, Lower Ashland, and for goldens, Upper (Big) Greider.
For high lakes that have received relatively large plants within the last 10 years, consider Camp Lake, 1,000 rainbow fry in 2010; Blanca, 4,500 rainbows in 2006; Downey, 1,250 rainbows in 2006; Independence Lake, planted annually with rainbows since 2000, 100 to 200 per year; Isabel, 4,000 rainbows in 2012; Indigo, Janus, Kelcema, Lost, Mud, and for goldens, Lime, Mica, Palisade, Ruby, Snowslide, Sunset, and Triad.
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