ARCHIVED NEWS RELEASE
This document is provided for archival purposes only. Archived documents
do not reflect current WDFW regulations or policy and may contain factual
inaccuracies.
News release April 28, 2003
or Madonna Luers, (509) 456-4073
Catch rates and fish size were good throughout much of the state on Saturday's opening day of lowland lake fishing.
Many recently-stocked, large triploid rainbow trout were caught at rates well above expectations. Several trout exceeding 20 inches were seen in creels, and some tipped the scales at four- plus pounds.
With over 10 million trout and 12 million kokanee stocked in Washington lakes, fishing is expected to remain good for the entire season, said Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) fish manager John Hisata.
Anglers, including families and other groups, turned out for an opener that offered an array of weather conditions ranging from warm and sunny in the Okanogan to rain and fog in the opposite corner of the state. Angler turnout varied with weather conditions, said Hisata, who compiled catch reports across the state.
"In southwest Washington rain kept angler turnout down and generally shortened trip length, while in Okanogan County warm weather brought out both anglers and trout, with excellent catch rates in waters such as Leader, Wannacut and Conconully lakes," he said.
The top lakes in average catches were Wapato in Chelan County; Rowland in Klickitat County; Tiger in Mason County; Leader and Wannacut in Okanogan County; Bonney, Clear and Tanwax in Pierce County; Erie and Sixteen in Skagit County; West Medical in Spokane County; and Clear and Long lakes in Thurston County. Those lakes all produced catches of 4.6 fish per angler or better which-at a five-trout-per-day limit-meant limits for most anglers checked.
The following table shows all lakes checked:
| County | Water | Average fish per angler | Size, type, etc. |
| Chelan | Beehive Lake | 3.8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Lake | 2.8 | ||
| Lilly Lake | 4.4 | ||
| Wapato Lake | 5 | ||
| Clark | Klineline Pond | 0.7 | |
| Grant | Blue Lake | 2.1 | rainbow 12" to 17", several rainbow 4+ lbs. |
| Deep Lake | 2.9 | Almost all triploid rainbow 15" to 17" | |
| Park Lake | 4.3 | Several rainbow 4+ lbs. | |
| Perch Lake | 4.5 | ||
| Vic Meyer Lake | 2 | 50% tiger trout catchables 9"-12" | |
| Warden Lake | 2.1 | rainbow 12"-17" | |
| Grays Harbor | Aberdeen Lake | 2.1 | largest 27" |
| Failor Lake | 3.2 | largest 17" | |
| Sylvia Lake | 3.8 | largest 16" RB | |
| Vance Creek Pond #1 | 2.2 | largest 31.5" | |
| Vance Creek Pond #2 | 1.5 | largest 28.5" | |
| Island | Deer Lake | 3 | |
| Jefferson | Anderson Lake | 4.5 | fry plants 12", C.O. 15"> |
| Tarboo Lake | 2.3 | cutthroat broodstock 14" | |
| Teal Lake | 4.1 | largest 24" | |
| King | Cottage Lake | 2 | |
| Geneva Lake | 3.5 | ||
| Langlois Lake | 4 | ||
| Pine Lake | 2.8 | ||
| Rattlesnake Lake | 4 | ||
| Wilderness Lake | 2.3 | ||
| Steel Lake | 3.2 | ||
| Kitsap | Buck Lake | 3.1 | mostly catchables |
| Wildcat Lake | 3.1 | largest 16.5" | |
| Klickitat | Rowland Lake | 4.8 | mostly limits |
| Mason | Benson Lake | 2.9 | many carryovers |
| Devereaux Lake | 1.8 | largest 18.5" | |
| Haven Lake | 2.3 | largest 17" | |
| Nahwatzel Lake | 0.6 | largest 22.4" | |
| Phillips Lake | 1.8 | mostly triploid rainbow | |
| Stump Lake | 2 | largest 18.5" rainbow | |
| Tiger Lake | 4.6 | mostly 2 year rainbow | |
| Wooten Lake | 2.7 | largest 20" cutthroat | |
| Okanogan | Aeneas Lake | 2.5 | |
| Alta Lake | 3.9 | all catchable plants | |
| Blue Lake (Sinlahekin) | 2 | ||
| Conconully Lake | 4.5 | lots of limits | |
| Fish Lake | 2.3 | ||
| Leader Lake | 4.8 | mostly limits | |
| Long Lake | 4 | ||
| Round Lake | 5 | limits | |
| Wannacut Lake | 4.8 | mostly limits | |
| Pacific | Cases Pond | 0.9 | largest 17.5" |
| Snag Lake | 0.5 | 11.5" average | |
| Western Lake | 0.3 | 11.5" average | |
| Pend Orielle | Marshall Lake | 0.3 | 11" cutthroat |
| Pierce | Bay Lake | 2.9 | almost all 2 year fish |
| Bonney Lake | 5 | low effort, high catch | |
| Clear Lake | 5 | limits | |
| Ohop Lake | 3.7 | few large fish | |
| Rapjohn Lake | 4.3 | many triploid rainbow | |
| Silver Lake | 3.7 | many 12"-14" rainbow | |
| Tanwax Lake | 4.9 | many limits | |
| Skagit | Erie Lake | 4.8 | mostly limits |
| Heart Lake | 4.7 | mostly limits | |
| McMurray Lake | 3.8 | ||
| Sixteen Lake | 4.6 | mostly limits | |
| Skamania | Erie Lake | 4.8 | mostly limits |
| Icehouse Lake | 4.3 | ||
| Kidney Lake | 1.7 | ||
| Little Ashe Lake | 1.7 | ||
| Northwestern Reservoir | 2 | reports of large fish | |
| Snohomish | Armstrong Lake | 4.5 | mostly limits |
| Bosworth Lake | 1.9 | ||
| Howard Lake | 4.6 | mostly limits | |
| Ki Lake | 4.1 | ||
| Margaret Lake | 3.6 | ||
| Martha Lake (AM) | 2.4 | ||
| Storm Lake | 0.9 | ||
| Spokane | Badger Lake | 3.6 | |
| Clear Lake | 2.6 | 91% carryovers | |
| Fish Lake | 3.5 | tiger trout | |
| Fishtrap Lake | 1.3 | largest 23.5" | |
| West Medical Lake | 4.6 | carryovers 15"-17" | |
| Williams Lake | 3.3 | largest 22" | |
| Stevens | Cedar Lake | 4.1 | rainbow 10"-14" |
| Deep Lake | 2.8 | largest 20" | |
| Mudget Lake | 1.8 | satisfied anglers | |
| Rocky Lake | 0.7 | rainbow 8"-20" | |
| Starvation Lake | 4.4 | carryovers 16% of catch | |
| Waitts Lake | 2.1 | rainbow 8"-20" | |
| Thurston | Clear Lake | 4.9 | largest 22" |
| Deep Lake | 2.8 | limits | |
| Hicks Lake | 3.9 | 10% carryovers | |
| Lawrence Lake | 3.6 | some cutthroat to 14" | |
| Long Lake | 4.6 | many 15"-16" rainbow | |
| McIntosh Lake | 2.1 | triploids 19" | |
| Munn Lake | 3.5 | effort down | |
| Offut Lake | 0.2 | low effort | |
| Pattison Lake | 3.7 | many limits | |
| Summit Lake | 4.9 | many limits, rainbow 13"-15" | |
| Whatcom | Cain Lake | 2.5 | |
| Padden Lake | 4.3 | ||
| Silver Lake | 4.3 | ||
| Toad Lake | 4.3 |