WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE     Print Version
NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

OLYMPIA — An improved average catch rate and some bigger fish made cool, windy weather tolerable for thousands of anglers during the April 25 Washington lowland lake fishing season opener.

“The blustery weather kept some people hunkered down, so the boat ramps were not as busy for this opener,” said Jon Anderson, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish biologist, who compiled results from creel checks across the state. “But there were some pretty good catch rates and nice-sized fish caught.”

WDFW staff and volunteers reported checking 5,410 anglers with 12,497 trout from 121 lakes statewide. Anglers checked statewide averaged 2.3 trout per fisherman at lakes with a five-trout daily catch limit.

The top ten lakes for angler success were: Spokane County’s Williams and Badger lakes; Horseshoe and Island lakes in Kitsap County; Okanogan County’s Pearrygin Lake; Skagit County’s Erie Lake; Steel Lake in King County; Snohomish County’s Howard Lake; Silver Lake in Whatcom County; and Cedar Lake in Stevens County.

In a few areas, persistent wintery conditions kept WDFW fish hatchery crews from stocking some lakes before the opener. However, hatchery stocking will continue, Anderson said. “With the season on most opening-day waters running through September or October, there will be plenty of fish to catch,” he said.

WDFW biologists provided the following information from opening day creel checks: