EDITOR’S NOTE — UPDATE: Anderson Lake in Jefferson County will open for the trout season at 6 a.m. Saturday. Test results showed barely detectable traces of harmful anatoxin-a. Authorities recommend not drinking or swimming in the lake, avoid fishing in patches of algae scum and clean fish thoroughly, disposing all fish guts.
WITH STEELHEAD AND salmon rightfully attracting the bulk of angling affection and attention on the North Olympic Peninsula, lake fishing often gets short shrift.
But for one special day every year, the fourth Saturday in April, the opening day of lowland lake fishing steps into the spotlight.
That day is this Saturday, and lakes across the North Olympic Peninsula should be ready for their seasonal debut after a number of recent trout plants.
State Department of Fish and Wildlife fish hatchery crews have been stocking nearly 17.5 million trout and kokanee in lakes statewide, but just a fraction of those, 17,809, were planted in Jefferson and Clallam counties.
Lake Leland best bet
Jefferson County lakes received the bigger share.
Lake Leland received 6,000 small rainbow trout at the end of March.
Lake Leland, located of U.S. Highway 101 about 5 miles north of Quilcene, is a year-round lake.
The fishing has warmed up recently on the lake’s 107.8 acres.
“Fishing in Lake Leland is good for catchable trout off the bank and at the pier,” said Ward Norden, a fishing tackle wholesaler and former fishery biologist who lives in Quilcene.
“Some of the successful anglers have complained about the smaller size of the fish, but that is because they have been spoiled by the larger trout they have been catching all winter.
“The recent plant was of normal, pan-size trout.”
Anderson open for now
Anderson Lake, a 57.3-acre body of water on Anderson Lake Road between state routes 19 and 20 near Chimacum, is a troubled body of water.
It routinely closes when blooms of blue-green algae begin to produce harmful toxins.
Based on test results from April 13, and despite the presence of an algae bloom, Anderson Lake is still likely to open Saturday.
“Anderson Lake does have a bloom that has started this year already,” said Michael Dawson, the environmental health lead for the Jefferson County Department of Public Health’s water quality program.
“We have toxic algae there, but so far they haven’t been producing toxins, except for a very trace amount.
“State parks has taken down the closed signs, and for now the lake is at the caution stage.”
At that stage, Dawson recommends to not drink or swim in the lake, avoid fishing in patches of algae scum and clean fish thoroughly, disposing all fish guts.
“A sample was taken on April 20 and we don’t have results yet,” Dawson said.
“Things still could change between now and Saturday.”
Dawson plans to monitor and sample the lake each week and post results on the Jefferson County water quality website at tinyurl.com/PDN-JeffCoLakes each Friday.
“If we receive the results from the April 20 sample, we will post those on the site, and if toxins are present in high enough amounts, we will close the lake and notify the public,” Dawson said.
Dawson said Gibbs Lake, a catch-and-release trout lake near Chimacum, has a light bloom of algae, but so far it’s not the harmful, blue-green variety.
“Gibbs Lake has a very light bloom that we can see, but it doesn’t have the appearance of blue-green algae,” Dawson said.
“But there may be some there, we have them every year.
“It’s clear now.”
Gibbs received 810 rainbow trout and 50 larger cutthroat in recent plantings.
Horseshoe Lake, an 11.4-acre lake 4 miles southwest of Port Ludlow, was planted with 260 rainbows on March 31.
There’s no minimum size limit, but anglers are limited to one trout on the lake, where internal combustion motors are prohibited.
Ludlow Lake, a 15.2-acre lake 4.5 miles west of Port Ludlow, was planted with 950 smaller rainbows.
Daily limit is five trout, including two over 14 inches.
Access the lake via private Olympic Resources property. These gates are likely to be open through Oct. 31, the end of the six-month lower lake season.
Sandy Shore Lake, a 34.9-acre lake 5 miles southwest of Port Ludlow, is found off Sandy Shore Road from state Highway 104.
The lake has a public boat ramp. Anglers have a five trout daily limit, including two over 14 inches.
Sandy Shore received 2,340 rainbows, with 130 of them 1.5 pounds and above.
Anglers need a boat to fish Tarboo Lake, a 20.3-acre lake 3 miles north of Quilcene.
There’s no size minimum. The daily limit is five trout, including two over 14 inches.
Teal Lake, a 15-acre lake 2 miles south of Port Ludlow, was stocked with 330 rainbow trout and 50 cutthroat.
There’s no minimum size for trout on Teal Lake. The daily limit is one trout, and selective-gear rules are in place.
There’s not much fishable shoreline on the lake, so it could get crowded on the dock for anglers who don’t have a float tube.
Silent Lake, a 10.7-acre lake on the Coyle Peninsula 5 miles southeast of Quilcene, offers little bank access, but there is a boat ramp.
This lake was planted with 800 rainbows in late March.
Clallam County lakes
Clallam County saw only one lake, Wentworth, receive a trout plant.
Wentworth is tough to find, tucked away off of commercial timber lands between the Dickey River’s west and east forks off a series of logging roads north of Forks.
There’s no shore fishing, so a small boat or float tube is the method of approach.
Despite its remote location and lack of amenities, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife continues to stock the 48-acre lake.
A total of 4,380 small rainbow trout reared at the nearby Sol Duc Hatchery were stocked in the lake during two plants on March 10 and April 7.
Beaver Lake, 3 miles northeast of Sappho and 16 miles northeast of Forks, is a 36.3-acre lake that allows a daily limit of five trout, with no minimum size and a 12-inch maximum.
Lake Pleasant, 5 miles off U.S. Highway 101, west of Sappho and 10 miles north of Forks, is a 492.6-acre lake with a public boat ramp, loading and mooring docks, accessible restrooms, parking and a playground.
Lake Pleasant has no minimum size and a five-trout daily limit.
There is a 6-inch minimum and 18-inch maximum for kokanee.
Lake Sutherland, 10 miles west of Port Angeles, off U.S. Highway 101, is a 351.3-acre lake excellent for the tasty kokanee.
There’s a public boat ramp as well.
Minimum size is 6 inches, maximum is 18 inches, and there is a five-fish daily limit for trout and kokanee.
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Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
