This report is for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday this week at Beaver Lake.

As you can imagine, Monday was a great day (day of the Plant) to fish with two period of time that the action was non stop, but that came with to big time lulls. Trolling in front and more on the park side produced many fish using FF in Orange, Perch and Chartreuse colors.

Tuesday was a huge difference....1 fish on 3 hits about half way down the lake after NOTHING in front of the launch area.

Thursday was very good action near the end of the lake. Black with Silver Specs was the clear color of choice. 9 total.

Friday was very quiet again with 1 fish on 3 hits.

29 fish caught and released for the 4 days but only 11 the last three days made me not go back this weekend and fight an anticipated larger crowd of anglers.

I “think” fly anglers working the shallow water near shore might have been doing OK...like 2-3 fish a day from what I heard and saw,

From what I read, you are allowed to keep 5 jumbos this year instead of just 2. I think that’s a mistake. If you want fall fishing don’t drain the lake the first day/week beause we all know that certain people will take their 5 and come back especially on the Plant day. I saw a guy that I know comes out twice a day. Brings someone different in the morn and in the evening. Known poacher from the regulars out there.

Last year I missed the first 5 week days and fished the weekend and C&R’ed 27 fish. Not a chance I could have done this this weekend because of the keep 5 rule in effect. My catch record leading up to weekend proved that.

I went to Blackmans Lake instead.....see report.

Finsider

10/29/2018 4:29:54 AM

Thanx for the report TM. I was there Tuesday and did very well but only at the extreme ends of the lake - the launch end early & the far end later - with squat eveywhere else! The DFW's goal recently was to "simplify" the regulations. Eliminating the 2 fish limit on 15+ inchers is simpler, but it will certainly curtail the fishing sooner on the lakes fortunate enough to get these larger sized plants. I agree with you it shouldn't have been cancelled. Of course, increasing the amount & the frequency of these plants would help offset this (!!??!?!). For years the Issaquah Hatchery has done a tremendous job with this program of raising & planting these 2-year old fish in the Beav. What I'd really like to see is an expansion of this program to include more hatcheries & more lakes, along with a return of the 2 hog rule.

alfafish

10/29/2018 7:39:34 AM

I agree with Bob, they should have kept the limit at 2! I was there the couple days before the plant and the lake was pretty dead, managed 3 fish one day but nothing on the next day. I was there when they planted this time and it was fun, managed to hook the first fish in the madness around the launch on an Olive Willy and lost count of the fish caught and released throughout the day. Went back a couple few times after that and it was much slower, only managed 5-6 fish but they were all fun (and released).

TMBob

10/29/2018 4:37:16 PM

My catch rate dropped like crazy after 10 days from the plant pretty much all 3 plants. Could be my technique as the main reason because I don’t use any weight. But from everyone that I talked to out there their catch rate was even less than mine after the first weekend.

Ben Eggertsen

10/29/2018 10:30:46 AM

You definitely should turn in the poacher. They hurt fishing for everyone else especially for young people getting involved in the sport. Here are the numbers from the WDFW web site: Poaching in progress: 911 Past poaching: 1-877-933-9847

Really good report. Thanks.

TMBob

10/29/2018 4:33:03 PM

When I personally know for sure, I will call the hot line and have in the past. 90% of my fishing comes on the weekend, so calling that line is pretty much a waste...end up with State Patrol.

mikep

10/30/2018 8:21:01 AM

The 2018-2019 Fishing Regulations show: BEAVER LAKE (King Co.) TROUT Year-round No min. size. Daily limit 5. Up to 2 over 15".
Other Game Fish Year-round Statewide min. size/daily limit. Page 74 2018-2019 WDFW Fishing Regulations
Where was the elimination of the 2 trout over 15" limit posted? As you probably know, the trout size limits were removed for lakes in counties near Olympia a couple of years ago. If you look at the WDFW trout planting annual plan, few trout are planted in King County compared to other regions implying that there is politics involved. I suspect that lbs of trout planted do not correlate with the location of fishing license home addresses.

Finsider

10/31/2018 4:25:30 AM

Check the effective dates on the regs' covers. You're quoting pg 74 from 7/1/17 through 6/30/18. The new regs (7/1/18 through 6/30/19) have no Special Rule listing for the Beav in KingCo on pg 78 - it has switched back to the statewide rules which have no 2 over 15" restriction. The WDFW's stated goal B4 the new regs came out was to "simplify" them.

TMBob

10/31/2018 6:50:21 AM

Thanks for the update Finsider

mikep

10/31/2018 2:43:45 PM

Finsider: Thanks a lot. I do not know how I mislabeled the WDFW 2017-2018 Fishing regs as 2017-2019 regs. I was thinking that the limit of 2 trout over 15" limit at Beaver Lake might be eliminated because WDFW had previously done way with the limit for trout over 15" at other lakes. Listening to the WDFW commission meeting where the prior 15" limit was proposed to be eliminated, it sounded like resorts on the lakes want their customers to catch and keep more large trout while the resort customers were staying there. Over the years I have had some memorable fishing days on the planting day and day after (catch and release on small spoons).

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