Holiday fishing: WA stocking 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout in these lakes Friday
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- WDFW stocks two dozen+ Washington lakes with nearly 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout.
- Agency stocked about 230,000 trout statewide this fall across 67 lakes.
- Anglers 16+ need a Washington freshwater license valid through March 31, 2026.
Washington anglers: Start your boat engines.
Ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife is loading more than two dozen lakes with nearly 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout, according to a recent WDFW news release. The goal: to give fishers an opportunity to spend time outdoors for the state’s annual Black Friday fishing.
Such holiday trout measure up to 17 inches and weigh up to 3 pounds each, the department says.
The state’s Black Friday fishing event has been around for more than a decade, noted Steve Caromile, WDFW inland fish program manager.
“We stock jumbo trout in lakes near communities, making it easy to spend a few hours on the water with friends and family,” Caromile said in the Nov. 13 release.
Lakes and ponds getting the trout-stock treatment ahead of Friday include:
- Fourth of July Lake in Adams and Lincoln counties
- Roses Lake in Chelan County
- Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County
- Kress Lake in Cowlitz County
- Cranberry Lake in Island County
- Lake Alice and Green and Beaver lakes in King County
- Rowland Lake in Klickitat County
- South Lewis County Park and Fort Borst Park ponds in Lewis County
- Cases Pond in Pacific County
- Tanwax and American lakes in Pierce County
- Gissberg Ponds, Lake Tye and Blackmans, Ballinger and Silver lakes in Snohomish County
- Hog Canyon Lake in Spokane County
- Williams and Hatch lakes in Stevens County
- Long, Black and Offutt lakes in Thurston County
- I-82 Pond 4 in Yakima County
WDFW also added more than 65,000 extra rainbow trout to the state’s lakes for Black Friday last year.
This fall, the agency is stocking nearly 230,000 trout, including jumbo trout, across 67 lakes, according to the Nov. 13 release. Fishers can visit WDFW’s website for the latest stocking information via the catchable trout stocking report. The site’s lowland lakes page includes details on hundreds of lakes statewide, including the lakes getting stocked.
Do you need a license to fish in WA?
Folks 16 and older who are angling to hook a trout will need a Washington freshwater fishing license to do so — one that’s valid through March 31, 2026. Licenses can be bought at various license vendors or online.
WDFW warns that, although it’s less common at this time of year, blue-green algae called cyanobacteria may still be lurking around lakes. Anglers are advised to check water quality advisories from their county health department before hitting the water.
This story was originally published November 27, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Holiday fishing: WA stocking 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout in these lakes Friday."
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