opening day

By Hannah Pennebaker

Is it that time of year already? That’s right, go dust off the trout rods and dig out those jars of dough bait! The 4th Saturday in April traditionally marks the opening day of many lowland lakes in Washington State. Many anglers anxiously look forward to it and count the days down on their calendar. WDFW stocks hundreds of lakes with thousands of catchable size rainbow trout in preparation for this event. Freshly stocked trout are often willing biters and scrappy fighters, perfect for kids or those new to fishing. Here’s a list of my favorite lakes to hit on opening day in Western Washington. See if your favorite is on the list, or maybe plan to try a new one this year!

Clear lake

Clear Lake will always have a special place in my heart; it’s where I learned how to troll for rainbow trout. I have many fond memories of warm spring days spent cruising around the lake, kicking back and watching the rods go off. Only about 15 minutes away from the city of Puyallup, this lake has an outstanding view of Mt. Rainier on a nice day, and it truly is a crystal-clear lake. 99% of it is private property, so bank anglers will probably do better at Tanwax Lake, just down the road. There is a pay to fish dock there and plenty of shore access at the boat launch on the south end of the lake. A word of warning, it’s best to fish Clear Lake early in the morning. By about noon, especially on a nice day, the lake can become a washing machine for pleasure boaters and jet-skiers. You can either troll or still fish on this lake. Green dough bait is always killer! The key is to troll slowly and keep an eye on your fish finder. This lake is surprisingly deep, but shallows up quickly, so be prepared to pull up your gear if needed.

Harts Lake

Harts Lake is unique simply for its wide variety of fish species. Come here for the rainbow trout, and stay for the channel catfish, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, crappie, and bluegill. It is small and shallow: perfect for small boaters and kayakers. The rainbows seem to hug the boat launch during the early season, but spread out as time goes on. Try targeting the edges of the lily pads that surround the lake. There is a little tackle shop on the lake where you can buy worms or a cold drink. The owner is very nice and loves showing off the photos of customers with 15 pound channel catfish caught off his dock! You can pay to fish off his dock or try your luck off to the side of the boat launch for free.

American Lake

Located next to JBLM, this lake is renowned around the state for its plentiful jumbo size rainbow trout. There’s also a chance you may hook into a kokanee; the lake is planted with thousands of them every year. There is a good amount of shore access around the lake in the form of boat launches and parks, but check to see if they are military only first. You don’t want to be turned away at a military checkpoint like we were the first time we tried to fish there! The lake is large, so there is plenty of room to spread out and get away from other boaters. Finding the fish can be a little tricky, so don’t be afraid to pull up your gear and motor over to try new spots.

Rapjohn Lake

Don’t be fooled by the tiny size of this lake, it’s a great producer of rainbow trout throughout the season! The boat launch is pretty barebones, so don’t expect to launch more than a small boat or kayak here. This is one of our favorite lakes to take our inflatable boat out on when we don’t feel like gassing up the Smokercraft. Dough bait and eggs work very well on this lake, as do worms under a bobber. This is a very kid-friendly place to fish since the vast majority of fishermen use small aluminum boats powered by electric trolling motors or oars. There is a decent amount of shore access at the boat launch and kids can do very well casting out a chunk of green or orange dough bait.

Mineral Lake

Any list of the best trout lakes in Washington State would be incomplete without Mineral Lake. This lake boasts not only trophy rainbow trout, but brown trout as well. It is unique among Western Washington lakes in that it is stocked with thousands of fry every year, which grow to impressive sizes thanks to the rich forage available. WDFW also supplements the fry with catchable size rainbows and browns before opening day. There is a boat launch, tackle shop, resort, and a pay to fish dock off the side of the lake. The dock can get crowded with swimmers during peak season, so it’s best to get there early. It’s no secret how good the fishing at this lake can be, so expect to have company at the boat launch on opening day.

Riffe Lake

Riffe Lake might be more well-known for its land-locked coho salmon, but a few years ago thousands of triploid rainbow trout were planted there. These trout are reaching the 14 to 20-inch range, and they put up plenty of fight! The coho salmon are perfectly willing to bite rainbow trout gear, so expect to come home with some of those too. Trolling is the name of the game here. Try trolling faster in the morning, when the fish are more active, and slower in the afternoon. Small spinners such as Mack’s Wedding Rings take a lot of fish here. You can pull them behind lake trolls or small dodgers. There is some shore access near Mossyrock Dam and at Taidnapam Park. Most shore anglers fish pieces of shrimp or worms under a bobber. Be cautious when fishing Riffe, the lake is deep and wide, and afternoon winds can kick up to dangerous levels.

Black Lake

Black Lake is located near Olympia, and, like Harts Lake, boasts a wide variety of fish species. There is public shore access at the boat launch and park. The lake is long but shallow, so trolling can be difficult. Long lining in the early season can be very productive. This is one of my favorite lakes to cast out small spinners and spoons. The fish will gladly gobble up worms, corn, or dough baits as well. If you don’t have any luck with rainbow trout, you can always try targeting the vast amounts of crappie and bluegill in this lake.

Swift Reservoir

Though it’s more off the beaten path than the other lakes, Swift Reservoir shouldn’t be overlooked. If you do make the drive, you’ll be rewarded with unbeatable views of the surrounding mountains and forests. This is a peaceful, beautiful lake, and the fishing can be just as amazing. I highly recommend trolling on this large, deep reservoir. Wedding Rings pulled behind lake trolls are deadly effective. Don’t be afraid to tip your spinner with a piece of corn, worm, or shrimp. Try trolling near the dams to start out with. Launching can be difficult/impossible if the water level is drawn down too low, so make sure to call and check the water level before heading out (the phone number is listed on WDFW’s Swift Reservoir webpage).

Lake Meridian

Unlike Swift Reservoir, Lake Meridian is an urban lake, surrounded by houses. It can get crowded on a nice day! But this lake has good populations of rainbow trout and kokanee, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Most fishermen will anchor up and throw out their offering on a bottom rig with a sliding weight. There is a fishing pier and shore access at the boat launch. Every year, fishermen get some nice holdovers from the year before. Try fishing a bit deeper and increase the size of your offerings to target these larger fish.

Lake Sammamish

Though this lake is open year-round, April is a great month to fish it. This is Western Washington’s premier cutthroat trout lake! Small plugs stuffed with tuna, spinners, and spoons all work well here. Troll faster than you would for rainbow trout, and remember to target structure, such as points or coves. Switch up your techniques and tackle until you find out what the fish want that day. Cutthroat trout are highly predatory, but can be surprisingly fickle. Have fun catching these fish, they are incredibly athletic and often jump when you’re reeling them in!

No matter where you decide to fish, make sure to follow all the proper safety rules, and don’t forget to renew your fishing license. Check out our YouTube channel, Northwest Fishing, for videos on many of these and other opening day rainbow trout lakes. We hope to see you out there!

April is unofficially the start of spring and often linked to mythical tales of rebirth, resurrection, and fertility.  Throughout history, spring has been celebrated via a diverse lineup of traditions. It is a time of rebirth that can be tracked back for centuries. Where many of the ancient festivals can be directly linked to some sort of bloodshed and brutality, fortunately for the Western Washington angler, we see April as opening day of lowland lakes season. 

Where hopefully our participation does not result in bloodshed, opening day can either be a bodacious good time or a stressful one. As a small child I remember anticipating opening day for months, any given year it was probably the highlight of the year for me. My opening day experiences have always been memorable. To this day, fishing or not, I eagerly await opening day each year. In a sense, opening day marks my renaissance each year. Unfortunately, not everybody feels the same way, and opening day can be an overwhelming source of frustration.

So, how does one survive opening day crowds? 

Opening day frustrations come in many forms and we all have different tolerances for things that are generally out of our control. Your mindset should be that most things associated with opening day will be out of your control. The list is long, but some things to think about are tackle/gear availability, where to go, gear failure, and crowds.

Planning and preparation will go a long way in smoothing over any pre-opening day jitters. Don’t go to your local tackle shop on the Friday before opening day and expect to find your favorite lure, a kiddie setup, a jar of Ball-O-Fire eggs, or buy your license. Even well stocked tackle stops can run low in the days leading up to opening day. Shop early and remember that in our post pandemic world, the tackle shops are dealing with supply chain issues. 

If they don’t have something it’s likely not their fault, and they are doing everything they can to anticipate your needs. Locally, Kevin Johns with Holiday Sports is a both the tackle buyer and lifelong local fishing expert. They are well stocked for opening day. If they don’t have what you’re looking for, look up Kevin and he will steer you in the right direction. SportCo/Outdoor Emporium, Johns Sporting Goods, Yeager’s, and even some local hardware stores have a fishing expert. As a hidden gem, the fishing department manager at Ace Hardware in Anacortes knows her stuff and is very devout in her pursuit of our local fisheries. 

Before opening day take the time to go through your gear and, if you’re using them, your boat and trailer. Did the battery survive the winter, trailer lights work, and are your winch and/or tiedown straps functional? Check the line on your reels, replace as required. Check your rods for damage and cracked guides. How does your tackle bag or box look, are they adequately stocked? Make sure you have serviceable PFDs for everyone that may be on your boat, and it’s a good idea to have life vests for any children and non-swimmers when fishing from shore. 

As part of your planning activities, maybe visit the area you plan to fish ahead of time. Check ramp conditions, look at the boat trailer parking options, shoreline access points, and hazards. Make sure there are not any surprise road or access closures. Over the winter, some of our access points may have been updated, and parking or access could be different. 

Hopefully your upfront planning and preparation will help to soothe and your opening day anxiety, but you’re not out of the woods just yet. You still have to survive opening day! 

I kind of look at opening day as maybe attending Mardi Gras in New Orleans. All the individual components and food may be a little odd or even uncomfortable, but the combined experience is an absolute hoot. A big thing to remember about opening day is that it is typically a family event. Strive to make it a positive experience for everyone involved. 

Children are very perceptive and are constantly learning from our behavior. If they get tangled with your prize stocked rainbow or one of the grandkids hooks your favorite fishing hat when casting just laugh it off.  In the event of a tangle or other calamity, no matter who is at fault don’t be afraid to say that you are sorry to your fellow angler. Use the time to teach good sportsmanship and etiquette. 

You will have no control of the crowds and know that going in. That said, you can do a few things going in to improve the experience. First and foremost is to arrive early. Not just early but hours early. Your favorite spot at the corner of the dock or bulrushes is more likely to be available, and if you’re boating, you may find trailer parking within a reasonable distance to the ramp. On that note; if fishing from the shore, don’t impede the boat ramp access. Boaters need room to maneuver their rig, a place to beach their boat, and a line free path to and from the boat ramp while on the water. 

As an alternative, if early doesn’t work, sleep in. Get up, have a cup of joe or three, and maybe even breakfast before heading off the lake. There is a thought here; opening day is all about voracious, planted trout. These fish will have the feed bag on all day. Years ago, I hatched an opening day plan to fish Lake McMurry in Skagit County. We had a guest from Alaska, she was an avid angler but had never fished an opening day. 

The plan was for me to launch at o-dark thirty, then wait for them to arrive around daybreak. In accordance with the plan, I launched hours before daylight and was the second rig in the parking area. After launching I motored out, dropped the anchor, and waited for the crew. It was cold, raining and breezy, and in short order I was soaked the bone. With dawn came a renewed hope that I wasn’t going to die of hypothermia just off the Lake McMurry boat ramp, but my wait continued. There was a lot of activity, and I enjoyed watching all the happenings. My waterlogged condition was improving and almost bearable.

It was a little later, the rain had turned to mostly a mist and the sun was trying to show itself. I was eager to join the other opening day participants but somehow, I was still waiting. A few of the boats that had already launched and headed out fishing were now coming back in with easy limits. I was getting a bit anxious and at that point I had full on gold (I mean, fish) fever. 

Eventually the gang showed up, they had overslept and ended up parking somewhere way down the road. I considered expressing my displeasure with the situation, but here came one of the kids, little legs going as fast as they could, carrying a McDonald’s bag. She was over the top excited that they had stopped and gotten me breakfast and coffee. Although they were both cold, her enthusiasm was infectious and the wait was forgotten. We got loaded up and cast off on our adventure. We had an absolute blast, lots of joking around, lost fish, and full stringers. We started out just doing catch and release, and then quickly filled out our limits. I don’t know how many fish we caught that day, but it was one for the books. As applicable to opening day survival, there were a few lessons learned moments in our adventure.

Although a bit frustrated with the wait, I stayed positive and we had a great time. The kids and our guest thoroughly enjoyed our adventure and never saw my tribulations. The second lesson was in the opening day bite. Even though people were coming in with early limits, I think the bite improved as the day progressed. I believe that with the unsettled weather, the surface temperatures were lower early on. The bite really got going as the lake warmed up. I’m sure if we had waited until 1:00 or so to launch, we still would have limited and not had to worry about parking. Maybe off subject, but regarding lessons learned, always carry a big thermos of hot tea or coffee!

If you just can’t get into the opening day hocus pocus no worries, you still have options. Remember that almost everyone that owns a fishing rod will be fishing an opening day lake. What that means to you is that, for the most part, our other fisheries will be deserted. The year-round lakes will be just hitting their spring stride. We have enjoyed kokanee limits from Lake Stevens, Lake Cavanaugh, and Lake Samish on opening day. 

There are other fisheries to explore as well. You’ll want to check the WDFW regs before you hitch up your rig, but for 2023 it is likely that both halibut (MA 6-10) and spring chinook in SE Washington will be open. Both have their own crowds and challenges but are solid alternatives to our Western Washington Lowland Lake opener. You may also consider shallow water fishing in the salt. Both surf perch and bottom fish such as the Irish lord family, sanddabs, sole, flounder, and greenling are all available year round. Check the WDFW regulations and bottom fish definitions for the area you plan to fish. 

Your ability to survive opening day may be a crapshoot, but with a little advanced planning you adventure should be mostly painless with bloodshed limited to a skinned knee, sliver, or the rare hook in the finger. Again, opening day is a huge family event, so patience and understanding will be your friend. At all costs, make opening day fun for all and be a teacher. 

Assure your gear, boat, and trailer are up for the task before you head to your favorite lake. Get your tackle and licenses as early as possible. Make sure the kidlets are wearing properly fitting lifejackets and, as appropriate, bundled up for the weather. Opening day is not the time to cut back on snacks, a full tummy is a happy tummy. A little attention to details and you will not only survive opening day, but the gang will eagerly look forward to next year’s festivities.