"Black Friday" Fishing Opportunities

Buy Your License Online!

If you’re not a shopper and would rather be fishing on the traditional bargain-hunting day after Thanksgiving, the “Black Friday” special fishing opener is for you.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will close fishing Nov. 21 on six year-round-open lakes in southwest Washington so that crews from the Mossyrock and Goldendale fish hatcheries can stock each with 2,000 extra big rainbow trout averaging 1-1/4 pounds each.  The lakes will re-open to fishing the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 23.

The “Black Friday” opening lakes are:

• Clark County’s Battleground Lake and Klineline Pond
• Cowlitz County’s Kress Lake
• Lewis County’s Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond
• Klickitat County’s Rowland Lake

You can learn more about these lakes at WDFW’s Fish Washington webpages. Share photos of your “Black Friday” catches and they may be posted in our Image Gallery.

If you need a fishing license, purchase on-line at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/

In the spirit of the special fishery and the food-centered holiday, WDFW fishery managers offer the following recipe:

Blackened Fish

1. Preheat cast iron skillet or griddle, preferably on outdoor grill, until very hot.
2. Dip thick (at least one-half-inch) fish fillets into melted butter and then into cajun blackening spice mixture (equal parts black, white and cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme).
3. Cook in hot skillet about 2 minutes or until bottom is near black but not burned.
4. Turn fillets, drizzle with more melted butter, continue cooking about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with dipping butter.