The freshwater Lake Washington connects to Puget Sound by way of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs just north of Seattle and feeds into the Sammamish River and Cedar River. Salmon pass through Lake Washington during spawning runs in the summer on their way back to these rivers, which makes for periodic seasons of salmon fishing.
Geography
Lake Washington covers over 22,000 acres making it the second largest lake in Washington State after Lake Chelan. The large size of the lake supports a diverse shoreline from recreational areas such as Warren G. Magnuson Park and Seward Park, quiet bays such as Juanita Bay and Union Bay, to Mercer Island, which sits in the southern part of the lake and offers additional fishing access.
The Catch
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, sockeye salmon have produced the strongest salmon fishery on Lake Washington. Adult sockeye salmon are longer than 12 inches, but in Lake Washington, sockeye salmon smaller than 15 inches are considered kokanee salmon and stay in freshwater during their lifetime. Sockeye average around 8 lbs., but the largest sockeye salmon in Washington, which was caught on Lake Washington, weighed 10 lbs. 10 oz. As sockeye salmon return to freshwater from the Pacific Ocean, they turn a bright red color, which differentiates them from the other species.
Method
To catch salmon on Lake Washington troll slowly with downriggers in the morning hours. Sockeye salmon tend to stay in the deeper waters of the lake at depths of over 80 feet and respond to lures and hooks that are silver, gold, red or blue. The salmon follow consistent migratory patterns each season, so fish south of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, north and south of the Mercer Island Floating Bridge, and at least 1,000 feet from the mouth of the Cedar River in the southernmost part of the lake.
Regulations
Salmon fishing seasons on Lake Washington are often short if they occur at all; the limits are strict in order to preserve the number of salmon that make it back to rivers to spawn and keep the population going. The limits change with each sockeye season and can range from one to six per day. Anglers must fill out a catch record card to record their daily take of salmon on Lake Washington. The catch record card code for Lake Washington is 762.
License
Fishermen over the age of 15 must purchase a Washington fishing license before fishing in Lake Washington. As of 2010, residents may purchase an annual freshwater license for $24, while nonresidents must pay $50. Single-day to five-day combination licenses are also available starting around $10 for residents and $17 for nonresidents. Annual licenses for seniors over 70 cost $8.
References
- 3 Boat Guy: Lake Washington
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: How to Catch Salmon - Lake Washington Sockeye Salmon
- All About Fishing: Salmon Fishing in Washington State
- Salmon University: Lake Washington Sockeye
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: "Fishing in Washington 2010/2011 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet"
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