Northwest Fishing Reports

What's your top 5 for LMB and SMB in the state?

Mine are

LMB
Offut (Thurston)
McIntosh (Thurston)
Long (Thurston)
Silver (Cowlitz)
Sammamish (King)

SMB
Summit (Thurston)
Tapps (Pierce)
Potholes (Grant)
Rife (Lewis)
Sammamish (King)

lake Curlew in ferry county near Republic. cast for bass all day, and you will definitely land a Tiger musky bi-catch

Whichever one I can afford to go to on any given day.

I would second Curlew, the bass fishery seems to have greatly improved over the last few years.

I also like
Riffe
Parts of Roosevelt
Mattoon (More of a pond, never caught anything over a few pounds but fun none the less.)
Evergreen Reservoir (Haven't been in a few years)

Kinda surprised Banks isn't there yet. Overall size and numbers it's the top, and I've fished those others as well (they are very good). If you're after lots of smallmouth or a trophy largemouth, it's my first choice.

Na, Banks isn't even close to being tops.

First is Potholes, then down below is Banks, but still in second. All other lakes aren't even in the same notebook.

2 of my over 10's came from Banks, Potholes biggest gift to me was 9lbs 7. I've caught more smallmouth there, but I have caught a bigger one at Potholes, but the Columbia has beaten both. I'd go as far as a tie, I suppose, even though walleye from Banks have been twice the size. Guess it's mostly chance where we do best. I agree with that last statement fully, but like your first comment best: Whichever one I can afford to go to on any given day. Yeah!

Banks #1 Coffee Pot #2

Coffee Pot is a good one. The trip and the access and the regs sort of dampen it for me, but it's still in the top 20. Any of the columnar basalt lined lakes are great (except Soap!)!

I haven't caught any LMB...yet. But for sheer numbers of SMB, lower Snake all the way up to Oxbow(I know, that's Oregon..
2nd: riffe lake.
Sad thing is, I have lived a mear, 20 mins from Silver lake(cowlitz county) my entire life. I have always been skunked going out there for some LMB.

Like you said amx, were I can afford to go. I like Roosevelt, Snake, and Potholes because I can go after both SMB and walleye.

Lake WA
American
Deer (island county)
Angle
Park lake
Deep lake (grant co.)
Banks
Potholes
Rufus woods

Soon to try:
Lake Chelan
Fish lake (chelan co)
Cle Elem
Lake Roosevelt

Amx wrote:Whichever one I can afford to go to on any given day.

+1

My favorite is often one that I have not had a chance to fish yet. Exploration is kind of my hot sauce on a great taco.

Still, on the East side of the State, my top 5 that comes to mind today - might give a different answer tomorrow, would be... in no particular order....

LMB
Long Lake/Spokane Lake
Bonnie
Elokia
Banks
Moses

SMB
Long Lake/Spokane Lake
Potholes
Banks
Spokane Arm of Roosevelt
Can I use a river instead? Grande Rhonde in Asotin County.

My favorite is a small unnamed beaver pond outside of where I grew we up call the Hillpond. Have to hike in the kayak about a mile, but it has tons of perch and bass in it. It's a lot of fun. First bass I caught was in that pond on a crank bait.

My second favorite is Swofford Pond. It's a ton of fun too.