High lakes

Created by colliding tectonic plates, and carved by glaciers and ice, high mountain lakes in Washington offer anglers a recreational experience unmatched by any other waters in the state. The fishing is spectacular in these high elevation gems but the experience is punctuated by fantastic camping, hiking, wildlife watching and the scenic vistas taken in during your stay, and travels to and from these unique angling opportunities. Without a doubt, high lakes trout fishing is one of Washington's premier recreational opportunities.

There are about 1,600 lakes that are considered "high" lakes, at elevations of more than 2,500 feet above sea level in western Washington. East of the Cascades, nearly 950 lakes lie above 3,500 feet, which qualifies them as high lakes. Only a small percentage of our high lakes have introduced fish populations. Some are self-sustaining trout populations, while others are stocked periodically with a variety of trout species. However, the majority of high elevation lakes remain fishless.

If you are new to high lakes fishing, you might want to try a getting started lake. These lakes are relatively easy to access and give you a good introduction to high lakes fishing.

Overabundant fish lakes are those where anglers are strongly encouraged to remove the legal number of trout each day they fish to bring fish populations under control.

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