Arbuthnot

This is a mountain lake located in Whatcom County and accessed via the road to the Mt Baker Ski area. It is a fairly easy hike to the lake with grand views of Mt. Shuksan and Mt. Baker along the trail although since this area tends to hold snow, it may not open until late August or September. This lake has a history of Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Eastern Brook Trout, so you might catch some of each species. All of the lakes that you pass on the way to this one have interesting fishing as well.

Getting here:

Drive highway 542 to the Mt Baker Ski area and continue past it to Artist Point, which is the end of the road. The trail heads west from the parking area. In a short distance there is a junction. The right trail goes up to the top of Table Mountain with even more spectacular views. You want the trail that goes to the left and transverses around the south side of Table Mountain. At about 1 mile from the parking lot there is another junction. Goes right here up and over a little pass then drop down the other side to a tarn and Mazama Lake. Hike past these two little lakes ¼ mile to Iceberg Lake and to another junction. Go left at this junction ¼ mile to Hayes Lake, then another ¼ mile to Arbuthnot Lake. Total distance is 2.5 miles with 325 feet of elevation gain and 630 feet of loss.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: Whatcom
Acreage: 6.90 ac.
Elevation: 4770 ft.
TRS: T39R08E SEC23
Center: 48.859145, -121.723004
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Fishing resources

Fish stocking info
Release Location: ARBUTHNOT LK (WHAT)
Stock Date Species Number Released Number of Fish Per Pound Facility
Sep 9, 2003 Rainbow 500 368 ARLINGTON HATCHERY
Oct 6, 1998 Rainbow 510 255 ARLINGTON HATCHERY
Aug 22, 1995 Rainbow 225 575 ARLINGTON HATCHERY
Visit the Catchable Trout Plants page for a more detailed search of trout plants in other bodies of water. To view and download the source data for this table visit the WDFW Fish Plants dataset on data.wa.gov.

Fishing prospects calendar

Rainbow trout

Fishing success for Rainbow Trout is generally best in the spring when thousands of fish are stocked statewide, but they can be caught year-round in most waters with a little patience and persistence. Success remains high into June and gradually declines as water temperatures increase and fish move offshore to stay cool. Fish that escaped the spring harvest return to the nearshore areas in the fall as waters cool off. Some waters may also be stocked again in the fall further boosting catch rates.
Chart showing fishing prospects throughout the calendar year

Photos
Arbuthnot
Photo by WDFW