Black Friday trout fishing ready at area waters

Hit the pause button on the post-Thanksgiving shopping spree and think instead about casting a line into lakes stocked with more than 60,000 jumbo-sized rainbow trout.

“The holidays are about spending time with family and friends, and being thankful for what you have,” said Steve Caromile, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife inland trout manager. “Instead of heading to the malls, get out and have some fun fishing. Teaching someone about outdoor recreation is a great way to create lasting memories.”

Every fall, WDFW stocks lakes across Washington with thousands of “holiday special” trout weighing one to two pounds and measuring more than 14 inches.

The 23 lakes and ponds, primarily on the west side of the state, that will be or have already been stocked by Black Friday on Nov. 24 include these in southwest Washington:

• Clark County — Battle Ground and Klineline
• Cowlitz County — Kress
• Klickitat County — Rowland
• Lewis County — Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond

For those going eastside, the following lakes have been stocked with fry plants in recent years and promise great fishing for Black Friday: Hatch in Stevens County; Fourth of July in Lincoln/Adams counties; and Hog Canyon in Spokane County.

Visit WDFW’s lowland lakes page for more information on these and hundreds of other lakes throughout the state. Other helpful basic trout fishing tips can be found on the WDFW Medium blog. For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should visit the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website.

Anglers 15 years and older must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2024, to participate. Licenses can be purchased online or at any of the hundreds of license vendors across the state.