Lowland fishing season opens Saturday

EASTERN WASHINGTON — The lowland lakes fishing season opens Saturday, April 24, with trout being the most sought-after species.

Opening day also marks the opening day of the statewide trout derby, where fishermen can win more than 1,000 prizes totaling more than $38,000.

While some lakes are open for fishing year-round, the state closes a number of lakes through the fall and winter while it stocks millions of trout and kokanee.

About four miles out of town alongside state Highway 26, Pampa Pond, has been stocked three times in the last three weeks.

On March 31, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife released 150 rainbow trout in the lake.

That plant was supplemented with two more on April 12 totaling 1,608 more rainbow. Of that, one release include 100 trout with an average weight of 1 pound each.

All of the trout in Pampa Pond came from the Tucannon Hatchery.

In addition, Gilcrest Pond, located about 6 miles south of Colfax off Union Flat Road, was stocked twice – 1,000 Tucannon Hatchery rainbow were released April 14 and 50 Spokane Hatchery trout were added April 15. The April 15 release included fish average 3 pounds each.

Statewide, Fish and Wildlife stocks more than 16 million trout and Kokanee annually.

In nearby Franklin County, the state stocked approximately 6,500 rainbow trout in Dalton Lake, located about 5 miles northeast of Ice Harbor Dam alongside the Snake River, over the last three weeks.

Dalton Lake is open year-round.

The state stock report shows 3,348 Tucannon Hatchery rainbow stocked in Dalton Lake on April 1, 50 Lyons Ferry Hatchery trout April 6 and 3,132 Tucannon Hatchery fish on April 15.

The Lyons Ferry Hatchery trout average more than 1 pound each.

To the north in Spokane County, Clear Lake and Bear Lake each received trout weighing an average of 3 pounds from Spokane Hatchery.

Bear Lake, 15 miles north of Spokane, was stocked with 375 fish March 29.

Clear Lake, off state Highway 902 between Cheney and Medical Lake, received 200 fish April 2.

To the west, no Adams County lakes were stocked.

Roger Harnack can be reached at [email protected].