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May 01, 2000
Contact: Madonna Luers, 509/456-4073
Bob Gibbons, 360/902-2329
Cool weather keeps some anglers home but catch rates high on Washington's lake fishing season opener
Chilly morning temperatures kept crowds slightly down on Washington's lake fishing season opener April 29, but catch rates of fat trout were high. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) checks showed daily catch limits of five trout were easily made at many lakes by anglers who ventured out in 30 to 40 degree temperatures before the day warmed into the 60-degree range. The trout, mostly rainbows, averaged 11 inches, thanks to the past winter's mild conditions that made for excellent growth of hatchery fry stocked last year. Many of the extra "trophy trout" stocked in select lakes throughout the state were also in the catch. WDFW Inland Fish Manager Bob Gibbons noted that overall fishing participation was slightly down or about the same as last year, probably mostly due to the cool weather. "The Vancouver area trout fishery was down because it competed with the spring chinook salmon fishery in the Columbia River," Gibbons said. "On the other hand, participation was up on Park, Blue and Dry Falls Lakes in Grant County, perhaps because so many westsiders head for the usual sunny weather there." Gibbons noted that catch rates in some areas, like Okanogan County, were phenomenal. Other anticipated "hot spots" may have seen slightly reduced crowds, he said, but that only means the fishing should remain good longer through the season. Most lakes that opened last weekend remain open through September or October. Although WDFW officers wrote a number of citations for fishing without a license or over-the-catch-limit, WDFW enforcement chief Bruce Bjork noted that overall compliance with fishing rules was good. Almost all opening weekend anglers using WDFW fishing access sites also had the required Access Stewardship Decal on their vehicles. The top 20 lakes, based on average catch per angler, were: - Clallam County's Wentworth Lake, 5 trout per angler (tpa)
- Grant County's Deep Lake, 5 tpa; and Perch Lake, 4.9 tpa
- Lincoln County's Fishtrap Lake, 4.3 tpa
- Okanogan County's Aeneas Lake, 5 tpa; Pearygin Lake, 4.97; Round Lake, 4.9 tpa; Leader Lake, 4.8 tpa; and Long Lake, 7 tpa (catch-and-release)
- Skagit County's Erie Lake, 4.7 tpa; and Heart Lake, 4.6 tpa
- Snohomish County's Howard Lake, 4.6 tpa
- Spokane County's Amber Lake, 6.87 tpa (catch-and-release)
- Stevens County's Cedar Lake, 4.9 tpa; Deep Lake, 4.8 tpa; and Starvation Lake, 4.5 tpa
- Thurston County's Pattison Lake, 5 tpa; and Long Lake, 4.7 tpa
- Whatcom County's Toad Lake, 4.6 tpa
- Yakima County's Mud Lake, 10 tpa (catch-and-release)
Catch rates, fish size, and other information noted by WDFW staff on the opener follow:
| County | Lake | Fish/Angler | Size | Comments |
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| Benton | Columbia Park Pond | 0.9 | | Trophy (triploid) trout 42% of catch | | Chelan | Beehive Res | 1.17 | 10" | RD and EB | | Clear | 1.7 | 10" | RB and EB | | Lilly | 0.79 | 11" | RB and EB | | Wapato | 1.81 | 12" | Carry overs 14 1/2", 8.4% triploid | | Clallam | Wentworth | 5.0 | | Good fishing | | Clark | Battleground | 3.3 | | Limits for people who wanted them | | Klineline | 2.4 | | 2% trophy (triploid) trout | | Cowlitz | Horseshoe | 1.6 | | 20% trophy (triploid) trout | | Kress | 1.8 | | Year-round season | | Douglas | Jameson | 4.3 | 12" | Carry overs 15.5", 24% of catch | | Ferry | Ellen | 3.8 | 10" | Carry over to 16" | | Trout | 3.8 | | RB 10" | | Franklin | Railroad Pd | | | Trophy (triploid) trout 3.7/angler | | Grant | Blue | 4.0 | 12" | Carry over RB 14.3", BT 12" to 14" | | Deep | 5.0 | 10.4" | Carry over RB 15.9", BT 13" to 18" | | Dry Falls | 3.9 | 14" | Carry over RB to 20", BT 12" to 20" | | Park | 4.3 | 12.5" | Carry over RB 15", BT 13" to 18" | | Perch | 4.9 | 11.5" | Carry overs 13.8" | | Grays Harbor | Aberdeen | 2.5 | | | | Elma Pds. | 3.8 | | Steelhead 26" | | Sylvia | 0.6 | 9" | Year-round season | | Island | Goss | 2.4 | | | | Jefferson | Anderson | 4.12 | 11.5" | Carry overs 13.8" | | Horseshoe | 3.0 | | | | Leland | 0.5 | | | | Ludlow | 1.32 | | Largest 17.5" | | Sandy Shore | 2.2 | | | | Tarboo | 3.4 | | Largest 15" | | King | Geneva | 3.5 | | | | Langlois | 3.0 | | | | North | 2.6 | | | | Pine | 3.5 | | | | Rattlesnake | 2.9 | | | | Steel | 2.4 | | | | Walker | 2.3 | | | | Wilderness | 1.5 | | | | Kitsap | Buck | 3.5 | | Largest 16.5" | | Kitsap | 0.7 | | Lots of trophy (triploid) trout | | Kittitas | N. Fio Rito | 0.8 | | Trophy (triploid) trout 15% of catch | | Mattoon | 1.8 | 10.5" | Trophy (triploid) trout 29% of catch | | Klickitat | Horsethief | 2.3 | | | | Rowland | 3.5 | | Trophy (triploid) trout popular | | spearfish | 2.1 | | | | Lewis | Carlisle | 2.45 | | | | Fort Borst Pk. Pd. | 2.0 | | | | Mineral | 3.19 | | Lots of carry overs and triploids | | Lincoln | Fishtrap | 4.3 | 11.4" | RB to 21" | | Mason | Benson | 2.8 | | Lots of Trophy (triploid) trout | | Haven | 3.2 | 10" | Carry overs 18" | | Prices | 1.3 | 11.1" | EB 11", RB to 22" | | Stump | 1.6 | 11" | RB to 18.5" | | Wooten | 4.0 | | Good fishing | | Okanogan | Alta | | 11" | Carry overs 17", RB to 22" | | Conconully | 2.9 | 10.5" | Carry overs 13.5", RB to 20" | | Conconully Res. | 2.3 | 10.5" | Carry overs 13.5", RB to 20" | | Leader | 4.8 | 12.7" | Carry overs 16" and 7% of catch | | Patterson | 0.9 | 11" | | | Pearygin | 4.97 | 11" | Carry overs 13.8" and 6.5% of catch | | Big Twin | 2.8 | | Catch and release | | Wannacut | 3.7 | 10.5 | Carry overs 13.7" | | Fish | 3.9 | 10.25" | Carry overs 13.9" and 9% of catch | | Aeneas | 5.0 | 19" | Fly fishing only. Most released. | | Long | 7.0 | 12" | Carry overs 17.5", 4.5 % of catch | | Blue (Sinlahekin) | 1.5 | 17" | Catch and release, 1 fish limit | | Ell | | 18" | Most anglers catch and release | | Round | 4.9 | 10.7" | Carry overs 13.25", 18% of catch | | Pacific | Black | 1.6 | | Best fishing from boats | | Pend Oreille | Diamond | 2.5 | 9" | | | Ledbetter | 1.8 | 10" | | | Sacheen | | | RB average 9", up to 14", EB to 14" | | Pierce | Bay | 3.2 | 11" | | | Clear | 2.4 | | Year-round season | | Ohop | 0.5 | | | | Rapjohn | 4.02 | | Lots of trophy (triploid) trout | | Silver | 1.31 | | Lots of RB 17" to 20" | | Tanwax | 3.3 | | Large RB were 11" | | Skagit | Erie | 4.7 | | | | Heart | 4.6 | | | | Sixteen | 3.3 | | | | Skamania | Kidney | 2.4 | | 57% trophy (triploid) trout | | Swift | 1.1 | 12" | | | Snohomish | Armstrong | 3.3 | | | | Bosworth | 2.8 | | | | Howard | 4.6 | | | | Ki | 4.4 | | | | Martha (AM) | 1.75 | | | | Riley | 4.0 | | | | Storm | 2.9 | | | | Wagner | 2.3 | | | | Spokane | Amber | 6.87 | 13" | Selective gear rules (catch and release) | | Badger | 3.4 | 9" | 25% CT, fish to 15.3" | | Chapman | | | Kokanee 9", RB 11" | | Clear | 2.6 | 14" | Largest, 24" RB | | Fish | 1.8 | 13" | EB lake | | Liberty | 0.9 | 13" | RB ranged 9.6" to 16" | | Newman | o.5 | | RB 8.5" to 16.5" | | West Medical | 1.7 | | RB 9.6" to 24" | | Williams | 2.25 | | RB 8.6" to 28" | | Stevens | Cedar | 4.9 | 12" | RB 10" to 17" | | Deep | 4.8 | 10.5" | | | Deer | 0.7 | | RB 9" to 13", Lake trout 20" to 31"
Kokanee to 17", EB 12" to 14" | | Little Pend Orielle | | | Lots of 10" CT | | Loon | | | Kokanee 9", 12" Lake trout 12-13 lbs. | | Starvation | 4.5 | 11.5" | Carry overs to 14" | | Waitts | 2.0 | 10" | Brood RB to 25" | | Thurston | Clear | 4.2 | | Trophy (triploid) trout to 4 lbs. | | Deep | 3.7 | 10" | Carry overs 16" | | Hicks | 2.1 | 12" | 25% Trophy (triploid) to 20" | | Long | 4.7 | | Lots of 14-18" RB | | Munn | 1.1 | 10" | 17.5" RB also | | McIntosh | 4.0 | 12" | Lots of Trophy (triploid) trout | | Pattison | 5.0 | | 19 - 22" RB | | Summit | 3.8 | 11" | RB TO 18.5" | | Ward | 3.4 | 10" | Carry overs average 14" | | Walla Walla | Bennington | 1.4 | | RB 8" to 16" | | Whatcom | Cain | 4.0 | | | | Padden | 4.4 | | | | Silver | 3.9 | 4.6 | | | Yakima | Mud | 10.0 | | Selective gear rules | | Myron | 2.3 | | Selective gear rules | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
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