newbie question

[Feenix23]

Just found this great group and hope there are some helpful folks out there. I’m just getting back into fishing after many years(on the east coast). My only interest is high lakes! I am an avid backpacker/climber and have seen lots of lakes and always wanted to fish them, now I plan on it. My question is this: in studying the maps and trying to decide which lakes to explore, what sort of things should I be looking for? Obviously I am going to avoid the well traveled lakes, but is there any clues otherwise that I should be looking at to determine if they could have fish? Topography, inlets/outlets, elevation, areas, etc that indicate better odds? Anything that says avoid? Any help would be greatly appreciated, and for sure I’m going to join up and help out any way I can! Thanks.

[Brian Curtis]

It sounds like you are off to a great start. Keep doing exactly what you are doing. The lakes you go to will almost always have fish. Fish are not stocked in the national parks so you are much more likely to find fishless lakes there. Your best bet is to go places that look like they’d be fun places to visit. You’ll find fish and a fun place to visit 😀

But the factors you mentioned do make a difference. You’ll find fish across the full range of any factors you can mention, but they make can make a difference in the kind of fishing you’ll find. In general, higher elevation lakes have shorter growing season and fewer groceries so fish grow more slowly and can’t grow as large as in lower elevation lakes. Shallow lakes are more productive then deep lakes. The flipside is that big, deep high elevation lakes are normally more scenic then small, shallow low elevation lakes.

[Dave Weyrick]

Welcome to the Washington alpine lakes fishing scene Feenix! Follow the melting snow up to lakes that only Kings would be allowed to fish. Hope to see you at an upcoming Trail Blazer or Hi-Laker meeting where you can learn how to get involved with this amazing fishery. Good Luck fishing this season!

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