Two Lewis County ponds will open Friday, and they will be stocked with 2,000 rainbow trout each.
“If you’d rather be out on the water than shopping in a mall, this fishery is for you,” said John Weinheimer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist. “These big rainbows should provide good fishing for several weeks after the holiday.”
The ponds opening Friday are Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond. The planted rainbows average 11/4 pounds.
Other areas that will be open and freshly stocked Friday include Battleground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County, Kress Lake in Cowlitz County, and Rowland Lake in Klickitat County.
RIVERS
Cowlitz: Fishing has slowed down, but some chinook, coho, steelhead and searun cutthroats are being caught between the hatcheries, according to the WDFW.
Kalama: Coho fishing has been slow here.
Klickitat: The WDFW reports that some bank anglers are catching coho on the lower river.
Lewis: Boat anglers on the north fork are catching chinook and coho. Bank angling is slower, but there are bites from time to time.
Skagit: Chamberlain recommends fishing Cascade Creek, where there have been a lot of coho caught recently.
Skykomish: The Reiter Pond area might be your best bet for winter steelhead, Chamberlain said.
Snohomish: Fishing has been slow, with very few reports of winter run steelhead.
Toutle: Nov. 30 is the last day of hatchery steelhead fishing upstream from the 4100 Bridge.
Washougal: Some anglers are catching winter steelhead.
Wind: Nov. 30 is the last day to catch and release game fish above Shipherd Falls.
LAKES
American: Mike Barr of Bill’s Boathouse said he has not seen many people on the lake, but reports on WashingtonLakes.com showed anglers catching rainbows as recently as last week. Barr said the fishing might be tough right now but that anglers could be rewarded with larger fish.
Goodwin: Fishing has been decent, but be prepared to be alone.
Lacamas: This Camas lake was planted with 9,600 rainbows on Nov. 14.
Sammamish: Might be a good place to try for cutthroats, said Mike Chamberlain of Ted’s Sports Center in Lynnwood.
Washington: Yellow perch are biting here a little deeper each day as winter approaches. This is typically a good time of year for trout fishing, but there have been few reports so far.
SALT WATER
South Sound: Fishing and crabbing in the area has been fair in the area, said staffers at the Point Defiance Boathouse Marina.
North Sound: Chamberlain suggests trying the western beaches of Whidbey Island. Blackmouth fishing has been good in the North Sound when the weather cooperates.
Craig Hill: 253-597-8438 craig.hill@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
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