Northwest Fishing Reports

For the first time this season I noticed both fry and larger fish jumping in Lake Wa.There must be an early hatch.I dont remember there being a hatch so early but its been quite warm along the lake.I walk in the early evenings exercising and chumming my fishin hole by my place.

yea there could be an early hatch, or somebody dumped a few MONSTER energy drinks into the water.


(my attempt at humor)

If that was the case I would be jumping along with the fish.

racfish wrote:For the first time this season I noticed both fry and larger fish jumping in Lake Wa.There must be an early hatch.I dont remember there being a hatch so early but its been quite warm along the lake.I walk in the early evenings exercising and chumming my fishin hole by my place.

The larger fish are the cutthroats going for flies. This has been noted by myself when I have fished LW in the early morning hours 6-8am. They stop jumping around 9:30am and then go deep. They are feeding mostly on chronomids...a bugger and chronies are good flies to use...althou I have done well with spoons and pop-gear. Hooked a nice one today around 18" and it spit the hook...this was aroun 1pm though in really sunny conditions...the cutthroat are very active in late evening and again in the early morning...after those times they do strange things that even us fishermen/woman will never figure out -- but that's what is jumping -- also the sockeye smolt will empty into Lake Washington in May and this is when you should fish close to the Cedar River and pick a lure that immitates a sockeye smolt - or longfin smelt -- I have my favorites, but coyote spoons work really well, too, for the larger 20"+ fish.

Some are active already. A few warm days and they will do that..

I love my evening walks along the lake.You see and find interesting things.Lots of turtles in the lake nowadays.I dont remember seeing as many as I do now.Also alot of freshwater clams.The Herons and waterfowl feast on those.
My favorite spoon is the Krokodile 1/2-3/4 oz. I cast from the docks along the blvd.The krocs and the Vibrex or Mepps have always been good to me.

I always see a lot of cool stuff if I walk the lake super early - racfish have you noticed any otters lately? I didn't even know they were in the lake until I saw two last year. (and no, they are not beavers I know what a beaver looks like thanks ;))

BPM.Its funny how you start out with you know what beavers look like.Ive seen otters many times along with muskrats,beavers and nutria.I say the same thing to folks who always say"sure it wasnt a beaver"?.Like you I know the difference in the animals in and around the lake.Hehehe.Enough of my rant.
Yes I see otters more in the Leschi to Madison park area.Im more in the Andrews Bay area.We have so many different kinds of wild life.Its great to watch them.Nothing is cooler then seeing critters along the lake.As I was writing about the turtles earlier .I have found 3 different turtles.One was large.Ifin I d seen it while swimming or tubing Id had the bejeezus scared out of me.Ive even seen sea lions in the lake.
I imagine there are a few critters that I havent seen nor do I probably want to see.

yea i see my fair share of nutria and muskrat too, although I must admit I have no real idea how to tell the difference between those two hehe.

racfish wrote:Ive even seen sea lions in the lake.

Sea lions in the lake -- I've heard of this -- not a good thing. They will eat the cutts if too many of them get in the lake. They get in through the locks and just are pesk in Lake Washington. Many anglers have lost fish to sea lions not only in Lake Washington, but also in the ocean when they have that 80 pound halibut on, or 40 pound king...they are annoying and they shouldn't be in Lake Washington -- that's not their natural habitat.

Yes they (sealions)target Sea-run Cutthroat.They dont feast on Sockeye to my understanding.Sockey get a slime that the sea-lions distaste.Thank g-d for that.There are or were sturgeon in Lk Wa also.I ve lived along the lake all my life.I've caught some bizzare things including a gold Rolex watch that was still working.The lake holds many secrets which makes it so very interesting.

Sea lions are not native to PS. All of them should be removed one way or another. About 30 cents a piece should take care of the problem. More expensive solutions have been attempted but it only takes them a about a month to swim from SF Bay back to the locks.

Bodofish wrote:Sea lions are not native to PS. All of them should be removed one way or another. About 30 cents a piece should take care of the problem. More expensive solutions have been attempted but it only takes them a about a month to swim from SF Bay back to the locks.

Yep, I agree. That'll be the day when sea-lions are canned at 30 cents a pop...lol...they shouldn't be eating our salmon and sea-run cutts, especially, as you alluded, aren't even native to this area.

I was down at the Locks last year and was watching sea-lions munch on fish.I found a rock and threw it hard and hit a seal.# people came running to me saying they were calling the cops.I did what any smart fisherman would do.I flipped them off and took off.Muahaha.Its the typical bleeding hearts that think they are so cute.They are probably the same people that want to build free housing for the homeless.
I wonder how smoked sea-lion would taste?hmmmmmmmmmm

hahahahahahahahaha great story! i kinda have another funny story to tell. every fisherman here has probably seen or heard of those fish eating birds called cormorants, or "fish ducks" as me and my buddy's call them.


one day at lacamas lake i was fishing for brown trout and a cormorant went underwater and stole the fish i was reeling in. after i breaf fight the bird snapped my 4lb test and ate my fish. so i grabbed a baseball sized rock and threw it at the bird and just happened to nail it right in the head, some lady walking bye yelled at me and said she was going to report me to the police. all i did was keep fishing and the cops never showed up. probably laughed at the lady when she told them.


if it was legal i would keep a 12 gauge shotgun with me when i am fishing just to shoot those stupid fish ducks.


and maybe cap a sea lion or two.

Wow, a nice thread about enjoying wildlife turns into a thread about how to best harass federally protected species.
I always thought throwing rocks was just a kids thing. I am sure many would like to throw rocks at sea lions, but don't because its against the law. People who would then "flip off" those that point that out seem even lower on the food chain...

Yes we all need start putting 12 gauge shotguns in our boats to shoot around the lake at fish birds...

Next time you guys see a sea lion swimming by why not just jump in the water and go after it Crocodile Hunter style? That would show how tough you are...

i would pay to see a man wrestle a sea lion! good stuff!



JUST MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT IMPALE YOU WITH A SHARP INSTRUMENT IN THE CHEST.. [-x

Oh well its one of those ranting and raving things.Like others have also said.These sea lions are not native to our area and have totally destroyed the Steelhead runs in the Lk Wa. rivers and creeks.They have also killed alot of Coho and Chinook returns.I dont like the sea-lions and I probably would harass them all I can without breaking the law.Thank G-d the gillnetters are allowed to shoot them.I dont like the commerants either .Youre correct about them.But then you might not know what its like to go in your front lawn and have goose droppings everywhere.I think they are cool waterfowl but the mess is unreal.Twice a week I go to my parents house and clean out their pool from the ducks and geese.I guess its just a personal thing.I didnt mean to offend anyone.

can someone point me to a scientific/biological study or other reference material that says Sea Lions are not native to Puget Sound?

This theory smells fishy. Just like the belief some folks have that Red Rock Crab are non-native invasive species.

racfish wrote:Yes they (sealions)target Sea-run Cutthroat.They dont feast on Sockeye to my understanding.Sockey get a slime that the sea-lions distaste.Thank g-d for that.There are or were sturgeon in Lk Wa also.I ve lived along the lake all my life.I've caught some bizzare things including a gold Rolex watch that was still working.The lake holds many secrets which makes it so very interesting.

They gourge on any salmon that stage up in the locks. They are a big reason why the Sammamish slough isn't a great steelhead fishery anymore. They just devour any of the stacked up salmon out in front of the locks. Sockeye, King and Silvers...

Dogfish: Their is no reason they should continue to be federally. They are everywhere. And they are putting a big dent in salmon runs.