NORTH BONNEVILLE — Kidney Lake, a trout-fishing spot in southern Skamania County for more than 60 years, will be open for Saturday’s opening day, but could close to public access as early as June 15.
Anthony Chavez, a spokesman for Weyerhaeuser Co., owner of 10-acre Kidney Lake, said the property is being put up for sale by sealed bid on May 26.
The company has cleaned up the property and last week thought about closing access, then decided to keep it open.
Chavez said Weyerhaeuser decided the closure would be coming on very short notice.
However, closure on the May 26 sale could come as soon as June 15 and access could end.
John Weinheimer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Carson, said Kidney Lake had been stocked by the state going back into the 1940s.
For Saturday’s opener, 3,500 rainbow trout have been stocked, plus 167 large triploid rainbow trout, he said. Another 2,100 rainbow are scheduled for release in Kidney Lake in May.
“It is one of those traditional opening-day spots to fish,’’ Weinheimer said.
Fishing season opens Saturday in the Swift Reservoir power canal in Skamania County plus Rowland, Spearfish and Horsethief lakes in Klickitat County.
The power canal has been stocked with 5,000 rainbow trout. Swift Reservoir will not open until June 4. It will be planted with 45,000 rainbow trout.
Rowland Lake, east of Bingen, is being stocked with 12,000 rainbow trout plus 670 of the large triploid rainbow. The lake is due another 1,500 trout for Free Fishing Weekend in June.
Horsethief Lake, inside Columbia Hills State Park, is getting 11,000 rainbow for Saturday’s opener plus 4,000 in May.
Spearfish Lake, north of The Dalles Dam, is getting 6,100 rainbow trout and 210 of the triploids for Saturday.
Additional plants in Spearfish Lake will include 1,500 rainbow trout in May and 2,000 in June.
Catch a tagged trout, win a prize
Tagged trout are being stocked in a dozen Southwest Washington lakes for the state’s first lowland lake fishing derby beginning Saturday.
The derby continues through Sept. 6. More than 130 businesses are donating in excess of $20,000 in prizes.
The rainbow trout are being marked with a “floy’’ tag, also called a spaghetti tag.
Anglers who catch a marked fish can call 360-902-2464 then collect their prize.
Biologist John Weinheimer of the Department of Fish and Wildlife said tagged trout will be placed in Battle Ground and Lacamas lakes in Clark County.
In Cowlitz County, tagged fish are in Horseshoe, Merwin, Silver, Kress and Sacajawea lakes.
In Skamania County, Swift, Icehouse and Goose will get tagged trout as will Rowland and Horsethief lakes in Klickitat County.
