FISH ON: Washington Lowland Lake Season Opener and Trout Derby

The lowland lake fishing season in Washington state  opens Saturday, April 26th

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is expecting thousands of anglers and some fish have been tagged to qualify a lucky fisherman for prizes in the 10th Annual Trout Derby.

 “Opening day is one of our biggest and most important days for anglers. There are great fishing opportunities at lakes statewide for people of all ages and backgrounds,” said WDFW inland fish program manager Steve Caromile. “Spring weather can be difficult to predict, but the opener still draws plenty of interest and brings families and people together. It’s always a great day, no matter the weather.”

According to a news release, WDFW will stock more than 14.5 million trout statewide this year, including:

• 2.14 million catchable-size trout, averaging 11 to 13 inches.
• More than 150,000 jumbo trout measuring 14 inches or more and weighing one to 1.5 pounds.
• 1.6 million “put, grow, and take” trout reared in hatcheries in 2024. These trout, initially stocked at a smaller size, are allowed to grow in lakes before becoming available to anglers once they reach 8 to 12 inches.
• More than 10.6 million fingerling and fry trout and kokanee planted two years ago, primarily in Eastern Washington.

Check out the stocking reports on WDFW’s fish stocking webpage.

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10th Annual Washington Trout Derby

The annual WDFW Trout Derby also kicks off April 26 and runs through Oct. 31. Anglers can compete for nearly 1,100 prizes valued at more than $54,000.  Businesses have donated prizes including gift cards, fishing gear, tackle, Seattle Mariners tickets, rounds of golf, local aquarium admission, a kayak, guided lake fishing trips, handheld GPS units, resort stays, and more.

Prize-winning trout are marked with an orange tag near the dorsal fin. Anglers can visit the WDFW Trout Derby webpage WDFWderby.com for instructions on how to claim a prize and find a list of lakes stocked with the tagged fish.

Participating lakes in NCW  include;  Alta Lake, Beehive Reservoir, Conconully Lake and Conconully Reservoir, Corral Lake, Deep Lake, Jameson Lake, Pearrygin Lake, Spectacle Lake, Wannacut Lake, Wapato Lake, and Warden Lake

Get Your License to Legally Fish in Washington state

To participate in the season opener and the derby, anglers must have one of the following;

• 2025 Get Outdoors package
• annual freshwater
• annual Fish WA
• annual combination
• or temporary combination license.

WDFW says one- to three-day temporary combination licenses are not valid for the first eight days of the lowland opener; except for active-duty military personnel serving in any branch of the U.S. armed forces.

Anglers can buy online; by telephone at 360-902-2464; or at license dealers statewide.

Certain Washington lakes are open year-round, and many lakes in Central and Eastern Washington opened March 1.