HAS ANYONE HEARD WHAT THE SIZE OF THE SOCKEYE RUN IS EXPECTED FOR LAKE WASHINGTON???

About 300,000. Not enough for a fishery but definitely worth watching.

Where did you get this information? I was at the sportsman show watching Tom Nelsons salmon talk and he was mentioning how this years Sokeye run was expected to be big.

Reasons for optimism: This year's return is from the only strong run cycle left in the Lake Washington system. Wild reproduction was supplemented with high hatchery output.

Reasons for pessimism: Coho, chum, and steelhead returns have been lower than expected this year. Poor ocean survival may impact sockeye returns also.

This info came from Issaquah Hatchery personnel. I didn't ask for numbers; they'd be the first to admit such guesses are unreliable.

i was wondering..do i need a boat to fish for these sockeye's?..and if not..whats the river leading into or out of lake wa? i havent the foggiest about anything..lol..welps..keep me posted k..g'day

Your best shot at catching sockeye in Lake Wa. is definately out of a boat. I hate to say this, but fishing with dodgers and bare red or black hooks off of a downrigger is the most effective way to catch these sockeye. I doubt they will allow fishing anywhere near the rivers during this run. I believe 4 years ago they had a pretty large buffer zone around the mouth of the Cedar.
One thing I have learned over the last 10 years is that run estimates mean nothing! The biologist have no better clue than either you or I. I have heard numbers for this year anywhere between 150,000 to 800,00. So I guess we will wait and see what happens this June.