Area residents can fish Black Friday for big rainbow trout

Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond stocked with fish

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is offering anglers opportunities for tight lines rather than long lines on the day after Thanksgiving. The "holiday specials" include thousands of large trout averaging 15 to 16 inches in length and weighing up to three pounds. The department is currently preparing to stock lakes in time for Black Friday, Nov. 24.

Additionally, the department stocks millions of smaller trout each spring, many of which will have grown to catchable size. "This is a great reason to avoid the holiday shopping stress just a little longer and enjoy a fun day on the water with family and friends," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW inland fish program manager. Some of the lakes scheduled to receive fish before Black Friday include:

• Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County
• Kress Lake in Cowlitz County
• Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County
• American and Tanwax lakes in Pierce County
• Rowland Lake in Klickitat County
• Black, Long, and Offutt lakes in Thurston County
• Elton Pond North in Yakima County

Many of those lakes will be closed to fishing the Monday before Thanksgiving Day until Thanksgiving Day to facilitate stocking efforts as noted in the fishing regulations: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ On the eastside, WDFW has been stocking lakes with fry plants in recent years, which should mean hefty fish in Hatch Lake in Stevens County; Fourth of July Lake in Lincoln and Adams counties; and Lake Roosevelt in Lincoln, Stevens and Ferry counties. Some of these eastside lakes will open Nov. 24 and remain open through March 31, 2018 as noted in the fishing regulations: http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ For up-to-date stocking information this fall, anglers should follow the department on Twitter or Facebook, accessible from http://wdfw.wa.gov, or see the department's weekly catchable trout stocking report at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/plants/weekly/ Anglers 15 years and older must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license valid through March 31, 2018, to participate. Licenses can be purchased by telephone at 1-866-246-9453, at https://fishhunt.dfw.wa.gov, or at hundreds of license vendors across the state. For details on license vendor locations, visit the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/vendors/ Information provided by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.