2009 Hatchery Trout Stocking Plan for Washington Lakes and Streams

WDFW is planning to stock a total of 782 lakes to provide for the 2009 trout fisheries, and we hope you enjoy your days on the water with your friends and family.

This booklet is organized into two sections: First - the ponds and lakes receiving catchable trout in 2009, and the kokanee and trout fry species and numbers stocked in 2007 and 2008; and Second â€" the stream catchable trout stocking table. These sections list the waters by county, and show the trout species, the numbers, size, and approximate time the fish will be stocked. The locations, dates, and times presented are based on current information, so unavoidable changes may occur.

Catchable Trout Plants
Over 4.2 million trout, 8 inches or larger, are scheduled for stocking in 370 Washington lowland lakes this year. These plants include nearly 70,000 quality �"jumbo”-sized (1½ to 2 pound average) rainbow and cutthroat trout, as well as larger brood stock trout, being released from WDFW hatcheries into these lakes. These, combined with the triploid trout noted below, will provide opportunities for larger trout in selected lakes. WDFW plans to stock about 58,600 catchable-sized trout in selected streams to provide mitigation for lost opportunity to harvest wild fish, or to provide recreational opportunity in areas where habitat does not support wild trout populations. Anglers should expect changes from this plan due to logistics, and modifications to hatchery production, as well as the ability to plant out brood stock or excess fish. At times, trout may be stocked in addition to what was planned in this document. Every Thursday, WDFW provides a weekly stocking report for catchable trout at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/

Triploid Trout
There are 94 lakes and ponds throughout the state that will be stocked with 41,429 triploid trout that average 1½ pounds. These trout, purchased by the Department from private growers, are sterile rainbows that have the potential to grow to trophy size if abundant food is available, and if not harvested the first season after stocking. These fish are not �"genetically modified,” but are sterilized by heat- or pressure-treating the eggs after fertilization. These triploid rainbow trout are identified as TRB under the Species in the catchable trout table. Some triploid trout fry are stocked in areas where natural reproduction of hatchery trout could adversely affect native species. For specifics on the triploid stocking program, please refer to the Washington Triploid Trout distribution schedule for triploid trout stocking, appended at the end of the document on page 33.

Trout Fry Plants
Over 15.5 million fry and fingerlings were stocked as 2-to-5 inch long trout into 531 lakes and ponds, including 163 high lakes. Kokanee were stocked in 2007 for the 2009 fishery, while trout fry were stocked in 2008 for this year's catch. Fry and fingerlings are stocked in the spring and fall, where they feed and grow on natural food until the following spring when they are large enough to be harvested. The survival rate of fry varies depending on conditions of the lake. A number of eastern Washington lakes are managed in such a way that fry survival is very good and are the primary source of new trout available for harvest. Western Washington lowland lakes depend primarily on catchable size trout plants because of relatively low fry survival. Where fry can be successfully stocked, the ones that survive supplement the catchable trout plants.

Some Tips for Catching Trout
As you read through the stocking tables, please note that many lakes are open yearround, or open on March 1, and may be stocked as early as January. While it might be too late this year to take advantage of this knowledge, stocking schedules are fairly consistent from year-to-year, so you can plan to get in some good early season fishing next year.

Research has shown that trout tend to stay in the top three to five feet of water for the first weeks after stocking. This makes them easy prey for cormorants and other avian predators, which can take a significant bite out of our stocking efforts. Where avian predation is prevalent, your best chance for success may come in the first couple of weeks after trout are stocked. Angler activity tends to disrupt the feeding birds and can save the fish for a longer period of good fishing.

Because of this tendency of stocked trout to remain shallow for a while after stocking, fishing on the bottom may not be as productive early as it will be later. Troll shallow with small lures, flies, or spinner-and-bait combinations early in the season. When fishing from shore, use a float to keep your bait up in the feeding zone.

After a few weeks, the trout will cue in on natural food items and be found where the food is, and this tends to be deeper. At this time, try fishing on or just off the bottom, using floating paste type baits or other buoyant baits. Also, natural baits such as worms, fish eggs, or flies and lures that imitate natural trout food work well. This will also be the case in lakes managed primarily with fry plants where the fish have grown up on natural food.