Hundreds of lowland lakes open April 27 with new opportunities to pull in prize derby fish

OLYMPIA–Trout fishing in Washington reaches full speed April 27 when hundreds of lowland lakes – stocked with millions of fish – open for a six-month season.

To prepare for the opener, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) fish hatchery crews have been stocking more than 14 million trout and kokanee in lakes statewide.

"Although many lakes are open year-round, the fourth Saturday in April marks the traditional start of the lowland lakes fishing season, when hundreds of thousands of anglers are expected to turn out to fish," said Steve Caromile, WDFW fish biologist.

April 27 also marks the start of WDFW's annual lowland lakes fishing derby, which runs through Oct. 31.

Anglers who catch one of 1,000 blue-tagged trout can claim prizes provided by license dealers and other sponsors located across the state. The total value of prizes is more than $39,000. For a list of lakes with prize fish and details on how to claim awards, visit https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov/Home/FishingDerby.

To participate in the opener and the derby, Washington anglers must have an annual freshwater, combination, or Fish Washington fishing license valid through March 31, 2020. Licenses can be purchased online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov; by telephone at 1-866-246-9453; or at hundreds of license dealers across the state. For details on license vendor locations, visit the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/dealers.

Fish stocked by WDFW include some 2.1 million catchable trout, nearly 120,000 larger trout averaging about one pound apiece, and millions of smaller trout that were stocked last year and have grown to catchable size.

Fish stocking details, by county and lake, are available in the annual stocking plan on WDFW's website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports.

There are more than 7,000 lakes, ponds and reservoirs in Washington, and hundreds have WDFW-managed water-access sites, including some with areas accessible for people with disabilities. Other state and federal agencies operate hundreds more. Details on water access site locations can be found on WDFW's website at  https://wdfw.wa.gov/places-to-go/water-access-sites.

Anglers parking at WDFW vehicle water-access sites are required to display the WDFW Vehicle Access Pass that is provided free with every annual fishing license purchased—or a Discover Pass. Anglers who use Washington State Parks or Department of Natural Resource areas need a Discover Pass. Information on the pass can be found at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov.

Before heading out, anglers should check fishing regulations on WDFW's webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations.

WDFW employees and their immediate families are not eligible to claim fishing derby prizes.

WDFWis the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting and perpetuating fish, wildlife and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation opportunities. WDFW's fishing derby and fish management work support outdoor livelihoods and lifestyles across the state.