Additional Trout Fishing Opportunities This Fall

Additional WDFW trout releases to focus on
lakes in seven western Washington counties

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is stocking 47 western Washington lakes with 340,000 catchable-size trout this fall.

This is nearly four times more fish than were released last fall in western Washington.  

WDFW is currently stocking lakes in Grays Harbor, Island, King, Pierce, Snohomish, Thurston, and Whatcom Counties.

Those lakes, which are scheduled to be stocked between Oct. 12-19, include:

• Grays Harbor County: Vance Creek ponds 1 and 2;
• Island County: Cranberry Lake;
• King County: Angle, Bitter, Deep, Rattlesnake, Shadow, Green, Langlois, Walker, Holm, Fish, Fivemile and Fenwick lakes;
• Pierce County: Harts, Kapowsin, Bonney and Bradley lakes;
• Snohomish County: Tye Lake and Gissburg Pond North and South;
• Thurston County: Long’s Pond, Offutt, Black, St. Clair, Lawrence, Long and Ohop Lakes; and
• Whatcom County: Fazon Lake.

Other waters that were recently stocked include Island, Lost, Nahwatzel, and Spencer lakes in Mason County; Kitsap Lake in Kitsap County; Rattlesnake Lake in King County; Cascade Lake in San Juan County; and Gibbs, Leland and Teal lakes in Jefferson County.

Additional stocking efforts will focus on different lakes and counties in western Washington and will continue through October and November.

Bonus bag limits will also be allowed on some lakes, doubling angler’s catch limits from five to 10 trout.

A list of lakes to be stocked, those offering the bonus bag limit, and the department's recently updated stocking plan is available for viewing at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/fall-into-fishing/.  

Chris Donley, inland fish program manager, said he expects angling to be great throughout the fall and winter months at all of these lakes. “Most of the trout are 11 to 13 inches long, with a few larger ones in the mix,” he said.

The fall fish plants are in response to anglers’ requests to increase fall and winter trout fishing opportunities in western Washington, said Donley. That effort also includes stocking lakes in southwest Washington for the Nov. 28 Black Friday opener, which offers anglers the opportunity to skip the shopping malls, get outside and enjoy fishing on the day after Thanksgiving.

For those fishing closer to the Puget Sound area, there are thousands of trout available in lakes that can be pursued throughout fall and winter, said Donley. “We encourage anglers young and old, inexperienced or well-seasoned, to get out and take advantage of these great fisheries,” he added.

For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should follow the department on Twitter or Facebook, accessible from http://wdfw.wa.gov, or see the department's weekly catchable trout stocking report at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/. 

Anglers must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2015, to participate in these events.

Licenses can be purchased online at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov; by telephone at 1-866-246-9453; or at hundreds of license vendors across the state. For details on license vendor locations, visit the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/.