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Curtis Swanson on The Best Places to Fish in Washington State

Curtis Swanson, an outdoor enthusiast from Bellevue, lists some of the best places to fish in Washington.

Washington is a beautiful state that has a number of recreational opportunities. Those who like to go fishing have their choice of a number of stocked reservoirs, lakes, and streams. Though you will find fish biting at most of the state’s fishing holes, a few of the state’s lakes offer exceptional opportunities.


Lake Cushman
Lake Cushman is a lake expanded by a dam on the North Fork Skokomish River. This lake provides good fishing for those who want to catch kokanee also known as the sockeye salmon. These fish are easiest to catch in May and June. Cutthroat are also taken regularly from this lake usually in the early spring and fall.

Lake Spokane
Lake Spokane is located on the Spokane River. This lake is rated by by the Department of Fish and Wildlife as being an excellent location for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Over 150,000 rainbow trout are stocked here each year. Fishing is best for sport species in late spring and early summer.

Moses Lake
Located near the town of the same name, Moses Lake offers fishing enthusiasts a chance to catch a number of freshwater species. Rainbow trout up to 20 inches in length have been reeled in, and Walleye around ten pounds aren’t uncommon. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, yellow perch, carp, channel catfish, bluegill and crappie are regularly taken from Moses Lake.

Riffe Lake
Along US-12 near Mossyrock is 13 mile long Riffe Lake. This lake is noted for its good to excellent Chinook salmon fishing. Crappie and bluegill are caught year round. This lake is noted for its excellent bullhead fishing.

Mineral Lake
Mineral Lake is an approximately 277 acre lake near Elbe, Washington. It is easy to fish this lake as there are several public fishing docks available at the Mineral Lakes Resort and especially along the west bank of the lake. Over 100,000 rainbow trout are stocked in the lake annually, and many brown trout are stocked each year as well. Coastal cutthroat trout and largemouth bass are frequently caught in all parts of the lake.

These are just a few of the lakes that offer great fishing. Washington has many rivers that also offer good trout and salmon opportunities.

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About the author

Curtis Swanson is an outdoor enthusiast who serves as the COO of ClearCyte Diagnostics, a cancer screening company in Bellevue, Washington. Curtis's company is dedicated to the international marketing of medical screening to a wide range of markets. Additionally, he has experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, accounting GAAP & FASB, and business operational management. Throughout his career, Curtis has proven himself as a leader, innovator, and developer.

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