Northwest Fishing Reports

does anyone hav advice for where and what to fish on washington this summer?
what to use?

Lake Wa is full of fish and diffrent fish species. Your going to catch something.

1) What kind of fish do you want to catch

2) boat? shore?

3) what part of the lake?

I cant help you out too much but answer these qusestions and everybody will give you some info. I know a lot of people on this site fish lake WA

Home Skillet 123 wrote: does anyone hav advice for where and what to fish on washington this summer?
what to use?

I've read a few articles on cutthroat and have caught a few. Use brass colored #1 needlefish with a red head, worm behind a ford fender, rapala, or flatfish in the order of affectiveness in my experience. Fish the shallows in early spring then 60 to 70' in late spring. Look for bait balls and fish around or beneath them. There should still be millions of fry and fingerlings in the water from the hatcheries. The worm behind the ford fender catches an occasional kokanee.

I'd encourage catch and release unless your prey is anadromous. Look at the fish advisory in the regs.

Oh god you could go on and on with Lake Washington fishing...Where should I start?

if you want a sure thing, perch in the summer.

Find a dock....and throw a worm and bobber on your rod and get ready for action. I've caught perch, bluegill, bass, and trout with that simple set-up. Also, for the bass (smallies) perch crankbaits work great for me. As far as locations, I would just saw go online and research the various areas around lk Washington that has dock or fishing pier access and try it out. There are lots of areas to explore on Lk. Washington!

I spent 4 hours today trying to catch Mackinaw with kwikfish at 70 - 170' deep. I had no luck. There were a few fish at around 50 - 100'. These were big signals and may have been sockeye or cutts. I also saw some monster signals between the Cedar River and Coulon Park at 75' deep. I've never seen anything arch so long and thick. Maybe this is a good place to try for sturgeon.

I need help with this as well. I have fished at the downtown Kirkland docks for bass with no success, and at the park in Kenmore with a bobber & worm, also tried for bass with no success. Are those bad places or just bad timing. Several times both locations in the last month.

Also am a new boat owner and would like to know if trout or Sockeye (during the season) can be caught trolling without leaded line or down riggers. If so how.

When, where, and how can I catch Bass from a doc? HELP

Thanks in advance.

Palmer wrote:I spent 4 hours today trying to catch Mackinaw with kwikfish at 70 - 170' deep. I had no luck. There were a few fish at around 50 - 100'. These were big signals and may have been sockeye or cutts. I also saw some monster signals between the Cedar River and Coulon Park at 75' deep. I've never seen anything arch so long and thick. Maybe this is a good place to try for sturgeon.

Are you serious?? Lake trout and Sturgeon in Lake washington? I don't think so.

Chris B: There have been some MONSTER (11 plus feet) sturgeon that have washed up dead in lake Washington...Believe it or not...the UW marine team has also netted a few sturgeon as well...

The lake trout hasn't really been confirmed yet....

I went out tonight and threw a 4" zoom lizard fished texas rigged and nailed a decent 12" smallie.....Try and fish something that mimics a crawdad if its a rocky bottom your fishing....Smallies love those in the big lake..

slicbob wrote:I need help with this as well. I have fished at the downtown Kirkland docks for bass with no success, and at the park in Kenmore with a bobber & worm, also tried for bass with no success. Are those bad places or just bad timing. Several times both locations in the last month.

Also am a new boat owner and would like to know if trout or Sockeye (during the season) can be caught trolling without leaded line or down riggers. If so how.

When, where, and how can I catch Bass from a doc? HELP

Thanks in advance.

Use a bottom rig (3 - 10 oz weight 3' off a T swivel with your hook, lure, or flasher off the T). Go near shore to about 60' of water and drop your rig to the bottom then troll out to deeper water at 60' down. Troll at the speed when your lure starts to get action, no faster. This is a good depth for cutts and sockeye during the spring and summer. I usually prefer to fish with one or two buddies because the lake is slow but rewarding for trout. I'll always set up at least one person with a worm behind a ford fender at about 1.5 mph. My next favorite is a needle fish and then a double jointed rapala. I don't have alot of luck this time of year but May is awsome. Fish near the surface in about 20 - 40' of water. Don't stay in one area to long if your not getting any action. Move around. The trout are following the smolt in the spring time.

In the summer I would suspect their staying in the cold water. I read one article stating that the bows go up stream or up the rivers as summer run steelhead. The only luck I've had in the summer were for bass and perch out in front of Magnuson Park. I see the bass following me around when I've snorkled for crawdads. In August I've been realy lucky with the sockeye when it's open. I like the 60' depth as slow as possible. I've also caught and released sockeye and coho on the ford fender and a worm set up.

ChrisB wrote:

Palmer wrote:I spent 4 hours today trying to catch Mackinaw with kwikfish at 70 - 170' deep. I had no luck. There were a few fish at around 50 - 100'. These were big signals and may have been sockeye or cutts. I also saw some monster signals between the Cedar River and Coulon Park at 75' deep. I've never seen anything arch so long and thick. Maybe this is a good place to try for sturgeon.

Are you serious?? Lake trout and Sturgeon in Lake washington? I don't think so.

I know two people that have seen sturgeon in Lake Washington. My uncle saw one from a sailboat and didn't know what it was at first. He said it was longer then he is tall and that it scared him so bad, he'll never go swimming in the lake again.

Palmer wrote:

slicbob wrote:I need help with this as well. I have fished at the downtown Kirkland docks for bass with no success, and at the park in Kenmore with a bobber & worm, also tried for bass with no success. Are those bad places or just bad timing. Several times both locations in the last month.

Also am a new boat owner and would like to know if trout or Sockeye (during the season) can be caught trolling without leaded line or down riggers. If so how.

When, where, and how can I catch Bass from a doc? HELP

Thanks in advance.

Use a bottom rig (3 - 10 oz weight 3' off a T swivel with your hook, lure, or flasher off the T). Go near shore to about 60' of water and drop your rig to the bottom then troll out to deeper water at 60' down. Troll at the speed when your lure starts to get action, no faster. This is a good depth for cutts and sockeye during the spring and summer. I usually prefer to fish with one or two buddies because the lake is slow but rewarding for trout. I'll always set up at least one person with a worm behind a ford fender at about 1.5 mph. My next favorite is a needle fish and then a double jointed rapala. I don't have alot of luck this time of year but May is awsome. Fish near the surface in about 20 - 40' of water. Don't stay in one area to long if your not getting any action. Move around. The trout are following the smolt in the spring time.

In the summer I would suspect their staying in the cold water. I read one article stating that the bows go up stream or up the rivers as summer run steelhead. The only luck I've had in the summer were for bass and perch out in front of Magnuson Park. I see the bass following me around when I've snorkled for crawdads. In August I've been realy lucky with the sockeye when it's open. I like the 60' depth as slow as possible. I've also caught and released sockeye and coho on the ford fender and a worm set up.

To find 60' of water, Go to the NorthEast side of I-90, the South East side of Mercer Island, or 1000 yards North of the Cedar River, drop your line to the bottom and count how many times your guide travels side to side. This should put you at 60 - 80' of water. Then troll to deeper water.

I heard word on the street that lots of sockeye and Chinook are swimming up the fish ladder in Ballard. I over heard a conversation about how someone was heading up to fish the entry to the locks. I guess they better read the regs.

Fishing for Cutts on Lake Washington? I heard of a method that I haven't tried yet. I tried herring but they were the large size. Someone told me he's been catching 3 - 5#ers for years with the small herring package. Keep them overnight in Brine and garlic. Use a double hook (double whammy) #2 set up, 100' back, and take down 30' on the downrigger. Troll at 1.2 mph from Cedar River, along West side of Mercer Island up to I-90 bridge. Once you catch a fish turn around and go back through the area. If anyone has any luck let me know. As the water get above 65 you might try as deep as 70'.

I would bet very few Sockey's are going into Lake WA. It's an off year. Sockey's only realy run every other year opposite the pinks. Trust me on that one. No sockey opening this year. You can take it to the bank.

Yeah, you're right. We're looking at the return of 2003 at 200,000 returning to spawn. This year would be the return of their offspring.

pop gear and worms for trout. just about any where out there.