best fishing spots in Washington State

[yuor09]

hi, we're planning a fishing vacation for two weeks in August and I wanted to get your input on best fishing spots in Washington State ideal for fly fishing and halibut fishing. Also, do we need a license here and do we get it?

thanks

[Ruby]

hi there,

You do need a license which costs around $37.64 for 5 days for non-residents. It is a good idea you also contact the Washington State Department of Wildlife for more info regarding rules and regulations.

The Olympic Peninsula is popular for fishing cod, halibut and salmon, although fishing anywhere along Washington State’s coastal waters offer great opportunities for tossing a line.

Fly fishing is popular along eastern side of Washington, on the streams of the Columbia River where you can catch salmon, sturgeon, walleye, shad, smelt, and trout.

[threebearslodge]

As far as fly-fishing I'd check out just about any river in the state to be honest, but Eastern Washington and the Yakima river are great for carp and bass.

For a more casual trip, Mineral Lake near Mt Rainier has some decent trout fishing and boats for rent.
Good luck!

[ivanoats]

@threebearslodge: What are some good spots for a beginning fly fisherman? possibly kid friendly, easy to hike to?

[threebearslodge]

Originally Posted by ivanoats

@threebearslodge: What are some good spots for a beginning fly fisherman? possibly kid friendly, easy to hike to?

I personally started on rivers, and if you're talking about Washington in general I'd stick to lakes or rivers. Smaller rivers and streams were personally frustrating for me as a beginning fly fisherman due to all of the brush and trees you could get your line stuck in. So, wading or fly-fishing from a boat is definitely preferable for beginners in my opinion.

As far as the Mount Rainier area, Alder lake and Mineral Lake are the 2 fishing spots I'd recommend. They're both about 2 hrs from Seattle or Portland, and about 15 minutes from our vacation cabins in Ashford, WA. (ThreeBearsLodge.net)

Mineral Lake has boats for rent as mentioned above, as well places to buy bait/tackle/licenses. Alder Lake has public boat ramps but I'm not aware of anyone that does boat rentals there, so you'll have to stick to your own boat or wading from the shore. From my experience both would be great places to takes kids along with.

While you're up there, there is a train ride at Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad that's also popular with kids. It goes out and back and stops at Mineral Lake in the middle, so it's right in the same area as the lakes.