Anglers across Washington can look forward to the start of lowland lakes fishing on April 26, with thousands of anglers expected to visit lakes statewide. This year’s opener also marks the 10th anniversary of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) statewide Trout Derby, featuring more tagged fish and prizes than ever before.
“Opening day is one of our biggest and most important days for anglers. There are great fishing opportunities at lakes statewide for people of all ages and backgrounds,” Steve Caromile, WDFW inland fish program manager, said in a news release. “Spring weather can be difficult to predict, but the opener still draws plenty of interest and brings families and people together. It’s always a great day, no matter the weather.”
WDFW fish and hatchery staff will stock more than 14.5 million trout statewide for 2025. This includes:
• 2.14 million catchable-size trout, averaging 11 to 13 inches
• More than 150,000 jumbo trout measuring 14 inches or more and weighing 1 to 1-and-a-half pounds
• 1.6 million “put, grow and take” trout reared in hatcheries in 2024. These trout, initially stocked at a smaller size, are allowed to grow in lakes before becoming available to anglers once they reach 8 to 12 inches.
• More than 10.6 million fingerling and fry trout and kokanee planted two years ago expected to contribute to 2025 fisheries, primarily in Eastern Washington
Most jumbo trout will be stocked in spring, with some saved for fall planting. The Puget Sound region will see 428,800 catchable trout, 25,000 jumbo trout, and 30,000 “put, grow and take” trout in local lakes. Stocking reports, including recent catchable trout plants, are available on WDFW’s fish stocking webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking.
The annual WDFW Trout Derby also kicks off April 26 and runs through Oct. 31. The derby features nearly 1,100 prizes valued at more than $54,000 from more than 100 participating businesses. Businesses have donated a wide variety of prizes, including gift cards, fishing gear, tackle, Seattle Mariners tickets, rounds of golf, local aquarium admission, a kayak, guided lake fishing trips, handheld GPS units, resort stays, and more.
Each prize-winning trout is marked with an orange tag near the dorsal fin. Anglers can visit the WDFW Trout Derby webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby for a list of participating lakes and instructions on how to claim a prize after catching a tagged fish. Anglers can also participate in the WDFW photo contest during the first week of the Trout Derby on Instagram by using the hashtag #watroutderby.
To participate in the opener and the derby, anglers must have the 2025 Get Outdoors package, annual freshwater, annual Fish WA, annual combination, or temporary combination license. Anglers should note that one-to three-day temporary combination licensees are not valid for the first eight days of the lowland opener, except for active-duty military personnel serving in any branch of the United States armed forces. Anglers can buy online at https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses, by telephone at 360-902-2464, or at hundreds of license dealers across the state.
