This Black Friday, skip the shopping and hit the water for big rainbow trout

OLYMPIA – Forget about standing in lines on the day after Thanksgiving this year, and think instead about casting a line in one of the many lakes the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is still stocking this November.

Every fall, WDFW stocks lakes across Washington with thousands of “holiday special” trout weighing up to three pounds and averaging 15 to 16 inches in length.

“The Thanksgiving weekend is one of the best times of year to go fishing in Washington, and it’s also a great time to introduce visiting friends or relatives to the joy of fishing,” said Steve Caromile, inland fish program manager with WDFW. “Hitting your local lake offers a great alternative to the chaos of Black Friday.”

Dozens of lakes, primarily on the west side of the state, will be or have already been stocked in the leadup to Black Friday on Nov. 25 this year.

Lakes scheduled to be stocked this year include:

• Battleground and Klineline lakes in Clark County
• Kress Lake in Cowlitz County
• Cranberry Lake in Island County
• Leland Lake in Jefferson County
• Beaver and Green lakes in King County
• Rowland Lake in Klickitat County
• Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County
• Spencer Lake in Mason County
• Lake Tanwax, Lake Kapowsin, and American, Bonney, and Harts lakes in Pierce County
• Lake Ballinger, Gissburg Ponds, Silver Lake, and Lake Tye in Snohomish County
• Lake St. Clair, Long’s Pond, and Black, Long, Offutt, and Ward lakes in Thurston County
• Elton Pond North in Yakima County 

Additionally, the following lakes on the eastside have been stocked with fry plants in recent years and promise great fishing for Black Friday: Hatch and Williams lakes in Stevens County; Fourth of July Lake in Lincoln and Adams counties; and Hog Canyon Lake in Spokane County.

Visit WDFW’s lowland lakes page for more information on these and hundreds of other lakes throughout the state. For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should visit the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website. 

Anglers 15 years and older must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2023, to participate.

Licenses can be purchased online, by phone at 1-866-246-9453, or at any of the hundreds of license vendors across the state.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to preserve, protect, and perpetuate fish, wildlife and ecosystems while providing sustainable fish, wildlife, and recreational and commercial opportunities.