Photo by Paul Updike

By Doug Rose

One of my favorite trout fishing destinations is a small, snag-rimmed pond in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains near my home. It is what biologists refer to as a kettle lake, a term used to describe lakes that were dug by retreating glaciers. Only about two acres, it is fed by springs on the hillside above it, as well as several feeder creeks, which maintain cool temperatures and healthy water levels even during dry summers.

There is an abundance of trout food in the lake, including mayflies, caddis, midges and dragonflies. But its brookies and rainbows are difficult to catch, especially the handful of 15-plus-inch fish that I only occasionally entice to a fly. The challenge of the fish is one of the reasons I like the place so much. I also like it because it requires a half-mile hike from the nearest forest road and is, consequently, overlooked by virtually everyone else. Since I discovered the lake a few years ago, I have never seen another angler, nor a discarded bait container or any other evidence of use.

While not everyone enjoys that sort of angling, Washington has a trout fishery that will appeal to virtually any Evergreen State angler. Fishermen who want to celebrate springtime's arrival with a stringer of pan-sized trout can choose from hundreds of lakes that are stocked with trout, usually within a short drive of home. Anglers whose sights are set on trophies can pursue fish in excess of 10 pounds in Okanogan County's Bonaparte Lake, in Lewis County's Mineral Lake, and the Olympic Peninsula's Lake Crescent. There are easily accessible lakes, such as Seattle's Green Lake and Potholes Reservoir's Medicare Beach, where families and retirees congregate. And there are remote rivers and lakes, where anglers enjoy solitude and pristine surroundings.

As is the case throughout the country, hatcheries have become the foundation that supports sport trout fishing. "We put out 2 1/2 million catchable trout each year," said John Hisata, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery program manager. "We also release about 19 million fry annually."

Hisata says 2- to 5-inch fry are planted in lakes with good survival rates, particularly in eastern Washington, where water chemistry and food base encourage rapid growth. "If survival is good, we plant fry because the quality of adult fish is better. They grow up naturally and are brighter and more energetic." The nutrient-poor water characteristic of most western Washington lakes results in slow-growing trout, so the department relies on 7- to 8-inch hatchery trout to provide action for anglers.

In recent years, the WDFW's triploid trout program, which gives anglers a chance at trout in the 3-plus-pound-class, has been extremely popular. "We won't have any significant changes from last year," Hisata said. "We will release about 40,000 triploids."

Triploids are sterile female rainbow trout that focus all of their energy on feeding rather than reproduction. They weigh about 1 1/2 pounds when released but can quickly grow to weigh several pounds if they escape harvest their first year. Triploids are planted in 78 lakes statewide, including western Washington's Pass, Mineral, Kress and Meridian lakes, and eastern Washington's West Medical, Waitts, Spectacle and Lenice lakes.

Despite the listing of several native trout under the Endangered Species Act, wild trout may also be pursued in a number of locations. Perhaps most unique are the wild cutthroat of Seattle's Lake Washington, which thrive despite being surrounded by the region's most populous metropolis.

On the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound, sea-run cutthroat also provide excellent fishing in rivers and along saltwater beaches. The Yakima River's rainbows have not been stocked in years, and they support the state's most popular river fishery.

With such a range of options, it can be tough to settle on a destination for your first springtime trout expedition. That's why Washington-Oregon Game & Fish speaks to biologists, guides and resort operators. We believe their expertise will help you select a Washington trout destination tailor made to your wishes.

Snohomish County's Armstrong, Bosworth, Ballinger, Goodwin, Cassidy, Ki, Flowing and Rowsiger are heavily stocked. Skagit and Whatcomb counties' most dependable lakes are, respectively, Erie, Heart and McMurray, Padden and Silver.

The South Sound's top rainbow lakes are Pierce County's American, Kapawsin, Spanaway and Tanwax, while Thurston County's Black, Clear, Long, Pattison and Summit are good bets.

On the west side of Puget Sound, Kitsap County's Kitsap Wildcat, Mission and Panther lakes receive large hatchery plants, as do Mason County's Benson, Devereaux, Haven, Lost, Nawhatzel, Spencer and Tiger lakes.

Twenty-mile-long Lake Washington's cutthroat provide an entirely different type of angling than the hatchery rainbow lakes. Trolling with Coyote Spoons or plugs is popular here, and it turns out its 14-inch to 4-pound fish most readily bite during spring and autumn.

Fidalgo Island's 100-acre Pass Lake has been an early-season favorite of flyfishers for decades, and it consistently produces fish disproportionate to its size. The north and south forks of the Snoqualmie River provide enjoyable fishing for those using flies or light tackle once the river season opens in June.

During summer, sea-run cutthroat trout are taken from Puget Sound beaches, and they provide excellent sport in the Snohomish, Stillaguamish and Skagit rivers during autumn.

Leland Lake, which is accessible off Highway 101 north of Quilcene, receives thousands of hatchery rainbows, and has a public fishing dock. Ludlow, Horseshoe, Tarboo, Teal and Sandy Shore lakes receive more modest plants; each has slightly different management strategies so anglers should consult the regulations pamphlet.

Mason County contains dozens of planted lakes, including Benson, Devereaux, Haven, Kokanee, Limerick, Lost, Nahwatzel, Spencer, Tiger, Trails End and Wooten. Sprawling Cushman Reservior hosts a range of trout options, but is typically best after the water warms in late spring.

There are fewer lakes on the western Olympic Peninsula, but they tend to be larger and kick out heftier fish. Until several years ago, Lake Crescent and its legendary Beardslee rainbows and crescenti cutthroat reigned supreme, with their, respective, 19-and 12-pound records. A dramatic decline in the numbers of both species, however, has resulted in catch-and-release, delaying opening day from April to June 1, and a ban on bait and downriggers. Since then, angling effort has fallen off significantly. Nearby Lake Sutherland is the heaviest stocked Clallam County lake, absorbing upwards of 10,000 hatchery rainbows.

To the south, Lake Quinault is managed by the Quinault Nation, and has been closed early in recent years.

There is probably a wider range of trout options in southwest Washington than in any other part of the state. Anglers can focus on hatchery rainbows on Cowlitz County's Kress Lake, Lewis County's Plummer Lake or Clark County's Klineline Pond. But there are also foothill reservoirs - Yale and Swiftcreek on the Lewis River and Mayfield and Riffe on the Cowlitz - where trollers have a chance at husky holdovers once the water warms in late spring.

Brown trout are planted in Vancouver-area lakes such as Battleground Lake, West Klineline Pond and Lacamas Lake.

Anglers in search of peace and quiet can experience the selective fishery, catch-and-release angling on the upper North Fork of the Lewis River, while Coldwater Lake's productive selective fishery exists within the shadow of Mount St. Helens.

Lewis County's Mineral Lake offers both dramatic scenery and excellent trout fishing. "Fishing has been great," said Kenna Bergstrom, proprietor of Mineral Lake Resort (360-492-5367). "In the spring, you catch a lot of 8- to 12-inch fish that have just been planted, but it's not a bit unusual for someone to get an 8- or 9-pound trout. We had a real hot summer last year and people had to go deep, but fishing held up all summer long."

According to Bergstrom, the WDFW plants the lake with catchable rainbows and browns, as well as triploids and brood trout up to 11 pounds. She says that although Power Bait was the favorite for years, worms fished 18 inches off the bottom were productive last year. She says frog-finish lures and Pink Lady and green Carey Special flies are also productive.