Northwest Fishing Reports

I was crossing the 520 bridge the other day. We drove past the part near UW and it looked super fishy. I'm curious if there's any motorized boat restriction around the circled area. If I remember correctly, there is a restriction where I circled with the blue.

i am extremely familiar with lake WA. i am quite certain there is no motor restrictions anywhere on the lake. what made you wonder about this? is it because that area just looks so swampy/fishy?

I had thought at one point there was a restriction in that area due to the proximity to the UW campus. I don't remember if it was noise or security related but that was also quite a few years ago...

The Quadfather wrote:i am extremely familiar with lake WA. i am quite certain there is no motor restrictions anywhere on the lake. what made you wonder about this? is it because that area just looks so swampy/fishy?

I remember seeing this restriction on my Navionic map on my unit. I can't remember exactly what it said, since it's been quite some time I was in that area and noticed it.

But I dont remember anything shown on the map in the lower section. I dont have my unit hooked up, so it's not handy to view the map.

I notice it'll have the similar warnings when I get to parks with swimming area. It'll say something like stay away 200' or something like that.

I've been in that blue area circled rowing my pontoon and in the lily pad and and mats of hydrilla there was alot of fish activity, I don't know if they were bass,yellow perch,crappie, or etc.... Yeah it is fishy in that area. I have talked to one guy that was fishing on that dock where the sailboats are moored there and he's caught punkin seed,yellow perch,brown bullhead(catfish),crappie,bass,peamouth,& squawfish off that dock.

Snowbird2008 wrote:I've been in that blue area circled rowing my pontoon and in the lily pad and and mats of hydrilla there was alot of fish activity, I don't know if they were bass,yellow perch,crappie, or etc.... Yeah it is fishy in that area.

Notice any signs or anything about motorized boat in that area? I wonder if the information is outdated on my map.

No I never noticed if there were or not but it does get real shallow at some spots and the pads and hydrilla would be a pain in the ass to take off the trolling motor.
I've bass fished the docks at the house just east of there and that hydrilla can be a pain.
Here's a picture of my bow mount trolling motor and that hydrilla mats get so thick up onto the surface it just wraps around your motor as your prop still cuts through the weeds but it slows you down

Here is what it says on my maps.




I also remember a grid of bouys in the bay. What are those far?

The section circled in red is the Arboretum - I am guessing no motors allowed in there and I doubt you could get in there anyway, the dotted line is a walkway with a couple bridges just big enough to fit a canoe under. The other side is where you can rent canoes. Took mine over there once, and like others said caught lots of fish, but it is shallow with lots of vegetation.

The blue section has about 500 big boats running in and out and docking and anchoring during Husky games, don't see how it could be restricted.

It may have something to do with the UW sailing and rowing clubs. Just a guess. Not finding anything on the web about it.

Gringo Pescador wrote:The section circled in red is the Arboretum - I am guessing no motors allowed in there and I doubt you could get in there anyway, the dotted line is a walkway with a couple bridges just big enough to fit a canoe under. The other side is where you can rent canoes. Took mine over there once, and like others said caught lots of fish, but it is shallow with lots of vegetation.

I just found out. You're right, I cant get under the bridge in that blue circled area. The trail/wooden bridge blocks my path. It was VERY weedy in the shallows in this area. I had to pull my main motor up twice to clear the weeds off. I couldn't find any bass in this area today. But there's a shallow flat that looks promising during the spawn time.


I forgot ot mention. I lost my Lake Washington/ Banks Lake map on the water today. I set it beside me. I forgot it was there. So when i blasted off it must have blown out. I didn't even realize I was missing it until I was ready to pack up my gear.

I dont think that blue area is prohibited, sometime when they show husky games they pan out there and theres all kinds of boats sitting there. I cant imagine geting anything bigger than a canoe into the arboretum, to shallow and weedy. Never gotten a bass outa there, but lots of perch and crappie

I'm fairly certain that the inner red area that is the Arboretum has a motor restriction. The other area on the lake with a motor restriction is the Mercer Slough area near Newport. Also, the Mercer Slough area is closed to all fishing as well, you pass a sign stating such as you enter.

I used to live right there and fish that area every day when I was in school. I don't know about signs, but I do know that there are folks with motors in there all the time. The arboretum area on the south side of marsh island is a weed trap and I wouldn't recommend any motor in there. The fishing is pretty good for largemouth and great for perch though. Across the way there are some good largemouth spots.