Warming temperatures aren’t the only good reason for Washingtonians to get outside in the coming weeks. Halibut and spring chinook fisheries are under way, the spring turkey season is open statewide, shrimp fisheries in Puget Sound are just around the corner and recently opened lakes on both sides of the Cascades are still teeming with trout.

“We stock lakes with trout for the whole season, not just opening day,” said Jon Anderson, a fishery manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “Trout fishing should be most productive in lowland lakes through June, and then again in September. Fishing should be good in the higher-elevation lakes, and those stocked with kokanee, right through the summer.”

Hatchery crews have already begun re-stocking lakes since the opening day rush, and will continue planting trout into September. Those fish range from 8- to 10-inch rainbows to 1.5-pound triploids. For more information about stocking schedules, Anderson suggests anglers visit wdfw.wa.gov/fish/plants/index.htm.

Anderson also has some additional advice for boat anglers, particularly those with young people onboard. “Anyone under the age of 13 is required by law to wear a personal floatation device aboard a boat,” he said. “It’s not only the law, it’s common sense.”

North Puget Sound

Fishing: The weather was good for the lowland-lakes opener, but catch rates for trout anglers were slightly down this year, said Anderson. According to creel checks, the lake that produced the largest catch in the region was King County’s Pine Lake, where 92 anglers took home 247 trout and released 365. In terms of the highest catch rates, Island County’s Goss Lake tops the list. Two anglers at Goss caught their limit of five trout on opening day.

Anglers in Skagit County averaged 4.4 trout per rod at Heart and McMurray lakes, while those at Sixteen Lake averaged 4.3 fish per rod. Anglers fishing Snohomish County’s Howard Lake and San Juan County’s Cascade Lake also did well. Anglers at those two lakes averaged four trout per rod. In Whatcom County, anglers at Toad Lake averaged 3.8 fish per rod, the same average as those fishing King County’s Steel Lake.

“We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather for the lowland lake opener,“ said Anderson. “Anglers of all ages caught lots of nice trout, including several real lunkers, but because waters remained cool so long into spring, catch rates tended to be lower in many lakes. However, the fish will still be there later in this five-to six-month season.”

Under statewide rules, anglers have a daily limit of five trout on most lakes. Released legal-sized trout, caught with bait, count toward the daily bag limit.

Before heading out, anglers should check the rules and regulations for freshwater and saltwater fisheries in WDFW’s Fishing in Washington pamphlet (wdfw.wa.gov/fish/regs/fishregs.htm).

Hunting: The spring wild turkey season remains open. The general season runs April 15 through May 31 throughout the state. For more information, a Wild Turkey Spring Season brochure is available at WDFW regional and at wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/game/water/turkey/index.htm.