Black Lake (Thurston County)

Black Lake has a year-round open season. This large lake is close to the City of Olympia and offers a great opportunity to get away from the fast pace of the Capital City and enjoy some excellent fishing opportunity. The lake is stocked with Rainbow Trout in fall and spring and supports naturally reproducing Coastal Cutthroat Trout. The lake also supports populations of Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, and Brown Bullhead. The WDFW access has a boat launch and two toilets. Two private resorts offer ramps, fishing docks, and shore access.

Two-pole fishing is allowed

Shoreline access: Good - There is public shore access at the Black Lake boat launch as well as Kenneydell Park.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: Thurston
Acreage: 573.70 ac.
Elevation: 134 ft.
Center: 46.98279, -122.981409
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Fishing resources

Catchable fish plants

10 most recent fish plants in this lake
Stock Date	Species	Number Released	Number of Fish Per Pound	Facility

Visit the Catchable Trout Plants page for a more detailed search of trout plants in this or other bodies of water. To view or download the source data for this table visit the WDFW Fish Plants dataset on the Washington State Open Data Portal

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.

Largemouth bass

Fishing improves throughout the spring as waters warm and fish move onshore, peaking during the spawn. Summer is a slight lull though dawn/dusk hours can be very good. Catch improves in Fall as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and prey becomes more available. Winter is the hardest time because fish are offshore and slow moving.

Smallmouth bass

Yellow perch

Yellow Perch can be caught year-round. Fishing is best in the summer after they finish spawning in April-May. Fish can be readily angled through the summer from both the shore and boat. Catch begins to decline in the fall as water temperatures cool and fish move offshore forcing anglers to pursue them in boats. Successful fishing for Yellow Perch in the winter involves either targeting schools in deep water from boats or through the ice.

Black crappie

Fishing improves throughout the Spring, peaking during the spawn. Summer is a slight lull, while Fall sees an improvement as waters cool, vegetation dies back, and prey becomes more available. During winter, the bite is slower, but anglers can have great success fishing through the ice when conditions are safe.

Brown bullhead

Fishing improves throughout the spring, peaking before the spawning period in May and June. Fishing may pick up in early Fall, followed by a decrease in action as waters cool. Winter is a difficult time to target this species.