I'm starting to get into fishing, and was thinking of trying Lake Washington. I'm pretty much a novice so I'm looking for tips to get going.

I have a boat so I can get to different parts of the lake, but not sure where to fish or what for. Also, I'm looking for any suggestions on what methods I should be using.

I don't have a downrigger. and I also don't have a fishfinder either.

Any help from folks on how to fish in this Lake would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Lake Washington has a variety of species. So it depends what you want to catch. One thing you can do that would be very useful is to go back over the reports posted on this site for L Wash. There are over six years of archived reports with enough tips, hints, and locations to give you some good ideas. On the front page, left side bar, go to "Reports" then under that "Report Archives". You'll find King county archives stretching back since 1997.

What species are you interested in catching?

Trout are available in the lake year round. Trolling spoons or a combination of a small dodger and a spinner will produce fairly consistantly. Leaded line is an inexpensive alternative to downriggers.
Tons of pearch in the fall and plenty of opportunities for smallmouth. I'm sure others will kick in with more tips/techniques. You can e-mail me if you would like more specifics regarding trolling for cuttthroat.

Check out this article on fishing Lake WA for trout. I have had reasonable success fishing along the I-90 bridge in the spring. In the winter months trout are a little harder to come by.

Thanks for the replies. I'll definately look over the previous years archives to get an idea.

I'm going to try trolling for some trout, and also try fishing for Perch.

For trout, without a downrigger, is there any easy way to calculate depth when trolling? And how deep do I need to troll this time of year?

I have caught trout in the winter pulling small plugs like Flatfish with no weight on the line. Putting a lot of distance (75-100') between your lure and boat is essential. Some will say 'riggers are necessary. I don't think they are.

To consistently catch trout in Lake Washington, depth control is a must. Leaded line is an inexpensive alternative to downriggers that is very effective. The only exception is during mid-summer, when most fish are caught between 45 and 60 feet, beyond the range of (most) leaded-line rigged rods.
Try this. Leaded line, (12 or 14 pound test) 30-40 feet of 10 test leader.
Needlefish in size 2 or 3. Nickel/Red, Brass/Red, Clown (yellow with red spots) or 3.5 inch Coyote spoons in army truck, watermelon or greenglo.
Put out 4 to 5 colors of line. Sink rate is approx. 6 feet per color. Troll fairly fast (1.7-2.2 mph) Get yourself a fishfinder.
Juanita Bay is great place to start.
Tell me what kind of boat you have and I'll keep an eye out for you. Make sure you have/wear a PFD, it can get surprisingly rough.

what size boat do you have? their are all sorts of downriggers at different prices. Ebay is a great sorce for down riggers. I would never use leaded line. complete waste of time. not becouse it woun't work. it will. but you have to use such a heavy rod that you are just dragging the fish in not fighting him. Thats my opion for what its worth. thier are some people out there that would never use a down rigger. This time of year until may or so. trout will be shallow. from the surface to 30 feet and in shallow water not over deep water. most of you plug lures have a maxima diving depth of around 10 ft at 100 yards behind the boat. a book called "precision trolling " that gives you the depth for most lures at a giving speed and distance.

Starcraft Tom,

I agree. A downrigger of any type is preferable to the leaded-line approach. Not having to reel up 200+ feet line again and again, more precise depth control, the ability to use lighter tackle, less prone to fouling from debris.

If I dont have a down rigger I would rather go with a dipsy diver or jet diver then lead core. fairly cheap and easy to use and you have a better isdea how deep you are. also easy to take off your line. Most of these type of divers will trip and allow you to play the fish with out to mush drag and you can feel the fight some what. I use them on reantal boats or from my canoe.

Is there a difference between where one would fish in the summer vs the winter.

From what I've "seen" on my fishfinder, Juanita Bay is a summer spot, the two bridges are summer spots and the southern shorelines (10-20 ft depths) of the lake are the winter spots.

the out side mouth of the bay is a year round spot. their is a trench at 70 ft that runs from the north piont to the cluster of trees between two lots on the south side. this spot has some big fish. worn riggs or needle fish with worms.

I fish the north basin almost exclusively due to my proximity to the Kenmore ramp. Juanita Bay, Arrowhead Point, the western shoreline from Sand Point north to Sheridan Beach can all be productive year-round. All that changes is the depth I fish. Around 60 over 90 feet in mid-summer, as shallow as 15' in the winter. Lately I've been finding my fish at around 25 to 30 feet in 40 feet of water. Another school of thought is to stay along the weed lines close to shore and troll within 5 feet of bottom.

I have fished the bridges a few times, but have not had enough success to bother running that far. I've heard that the east channel can be very productive and is often sheltered from the prevailing winds, but have not tried it for trout. Great for sockeye in years past, though! Here's hoping for a fishery this year!