|
|
Snohomish County's top-20 Trout lakes
Washington fishing map feature
By Randall Peters
Omissions are inevitable, but with Trout season upon us, there's no time to bicker. These lakes drew our attention and they'll produce for you. Blackmans Lake Featured in our March 9 issue, Blackmans is located in the town of Snohomish and is 60 acres. Trout stocking began in late March with more than 2,000 rainbows. Additional fish were added in early April. Blackmans is allotted 7,000 rainbows this year and all fish will be planted by May.
Nearly 300 triploids (genetically engineered Trout) will be planted by WDFW this April, and the Cooperative Trout Enhancement Program will plant their own triploids this spring, making the lake a real destination for trophy seekers. There are two fishing piers on the east shore, plus a small pier and a spot to launch a boat or float tube on the south shore. F&H News staffers have been finding fish by trolling worms tipped with Power Bait, fishing dough baits with worms or Salmon eggs on the bottom and slow-trolling F4 FlatFish in a variety of colors. The lake is open year-round. Bosworth Lake No, this Granite Falls lake wasn't named for the former Seahawks linebacker — and unlike that guy, this lake will produce, that's for sure. Bosworth will be planted with 11,500 rainbows this season. Stocking began in March and fishing should be excellent for the April 29 opener. Bosworth is located south of Granite Falls. Take Robe-Menzell Road to Bosworth Drive, a right on Lerch Road and another right on Lake Bosworth Drive. Follow it to the end to the boat launch. Lake Cassidy Lake Cassidy: Cassidy is located just east of Highway 9 north of Lake Stevens. Open year-round, 6,000 8- to 12-inch rainbows will be planted in the 124-acre lake this April. The larger triploids, 965 of them, are scheduled to be planted in staggered fashion in March and again in May. From Highway 9, head east on 60th St. NE and follow it to the boat launch. The ramp is located on the west shoreline. Flowing Lake
Storm lake — where Granite Falls' Eric Bell, caught this limit of Trout on
last year's opener — is one of Snohomish County's top bets for April 29.
Ten thousand rainbows for 134 acres are good numbers. The stocking has already begun, and since Flowing is open year-round, there are 'bows to be had right now. If you need further convincing, an additional 583 triploids will be added in April. Flowing is located east of Snohomish and north of Monroe. There is a boat launch located at Flowing Lake Park on the lake's west side, and a WDFW launch on the lake's southeast side. Gissburg Ponds A great place to take the kids, these ponds, which are located within casting distance of Interstate 5 north of Marysville, are heavily stocked with rainbows. The constant action keeps the little ones interested. The ponds are scheduled to receive 8,500 rainbows between March and June. In April, 917 triploids are planted, giving Junior a shot at hooking into a lunker. No need for a boat here as there's plenty of shoreline access for everyone. The north pond is designated as "juvenile only," meaning that only children under 15 are allowed to fish there. Lake Goodwin It's a bigger piece of water to tackle at 546 acres, but 14,000 planted rainbows this season should ease your concerns. Goodwin is the largest of a cluster of quality Trout lakes (Shoecraft, Ki, Crabapple, Loma and Martha) located northwest of Marysville. Access to Goodwin is best at Wenberg State Park, where you can launch a boat or fish from a dock. Take the Smokey Point exit from Interstate 5 and head west on Highway 531 and look for the signs to Wenberg State Park. Goodwin is open year-round, and chumming is permitted. Lake Ki You may think you've found the end of a rainbow when you fish for the 15,000 rainbows that'll be planted in Lake Ki this spring. Those are impressive numbers for a lake of only 97 acres. Lake Ki is located on Highway 531 west of Interstate 5 from the Smokey Point exit north of Marysville. Ki opens on April 29, and fishing early in the season should be stellar. Lake Roesiger At just over 350 acres, Roesiger is almost two lakes in one. Most Trout are taken in the deeper northern and southern portions of lake. The middle section is somewhat shallow. WDFW is stocking 11,500 Trout from 8 to 12 inches and 1,358 larger triploids here this spring. To get there, head to Monroe on Highway 2 and head north (left) on Woods Creek Road till you hit Lake Roesiger Road where you'll find the WDFW boat launch. There is also access at Lake Roesiger Park, which lies on Lake Roesiger Road on the lake's east side. Roesiger is open year-round. Silver Lake (Everett) Despite the fact that Silver is about as urban as a lake comes these days, don't let looks deceive you. Located in south Everett along Bothell-Everett Highway (527), 102-acre Silver Lake will receive a respectable 5,000 rainbows by May this season. If you're into fishing for the triploids, 533 will be planted in April. Access is available at Thornton Sullivan Park on Silver Lake's west side.
Storm Lake Sometimes overshadowed by Flowing Lake right next door, 78-acre Storm Lake holds its own on opening day every year. This year, it will be planted with 9,500 rainbows. These numbers should translate into good catch rates well into spring. Only problem with Storm is how many turns it takes to get there. From the town of Snohomish, head east on Three Lakes Road until it intersects with 171st Ave SE. Take a right, then a quick left on Spada Lake Road and another left on Storm Lake Road. The boat launch is immediately on your right. Bonus lakes Alright, we couldn't control ourselves. Here's Snohomish County's "honorable mention" list: Martha Lake (Alderwood Manor): 59 acres. 8,000 catchable-size rainbows, March and April. Martha opens April 29. Lake Ballinger: 100 acres; 5,000 catchables in March and May; open year-round. Chain Lake: 23 acres, 2,500 in March; year-round season. (Shh, don't tell the editor I told you this, but Chain's one of his secret bass lakes!) Crabapple Lake: 36 acres; 4,000 catchables in April; opens April 29. Echo Lake (Maltby): 16 acres; 2,000 catchables in April; opens on April 29. Howard Lake: 27 acres; 3,500 catchables in April; opens April 29. Panther Lake: 47 acres; 4,000 catchables and 291 triploids in April; open year-round. Tye Lake: 40 acres; 1,000 catchables and 272 tripoids in April; open year-round. Wagner Lake: 20 acres; 3,000 in April; opens April 29.
|
|
|
|