With warming temperatures and a departure from the rainy winter months, Whatcom County finds itself entering prime fishing season once again. Starting April 25, the season officially begins, with seasonal lake openings and lifted fishing restrictions.
Scott Willison, a local fly shop owner and fisherman of 40 years, said he was excited for the upcoming season.
"A lot of people will get excited because lakes that have been closed will be open again. Naturally, with more lakes open to fish and certainly with the weather improving too, we just have a lot more people that wanna get out and fish," Willison said. "We have a number of lakes that are open year-round that we've all been fishing for the last several months, and of course, the fishing is improving as the water warms up and you've got more insects hatching."
As for where to fish, Willison said there are plenty of options to choose from.
"As far as the upcoming opening day is concerned, there are a number of lakes that are managed for the opening day crowd that I'd recommend. Lake Padden would be one; Toad Lake is another popular one," Willison said. "Cain Lake is one that I like to fish probably more than the other two."
Students are itching for the start of the season as well. Wyatt Newman, vice president of the WWU Fish and Game club, is already making plans to fish various lakes across the county.
"Lake Padden is opening pretty soon and that's gonna be the closest lake to school," Newman said. "Just for accessibility, as far as student access goes, that's the number one. There's also rentals there, so it basically makes it the most convenient and most accessible."
Fish of all varieties will become more active and easier to find as the season progresses, with previously restricted fish, like the coastal cutthroat trout, becoming available for catch-and-release at year-round lakes such as Lake Whatcom.
"It's a great place to catch just about everything – a lot of bass, a lot of sunfish, but there's plenty of trout as well, and the water clarity is great," Newman said. "That can be a little bit of a trick if you're fishing for trout that see well, so you're gonna wanna use a thin leader; something clear and preferably floating bait to get it off the bottom. (The fish) aren't gonna be down there anymore, they're gonna be rising up."
When it comes to the start of the season, new anglers may be interested in trying fishing for the first time. According to Newman, this is the best time to do so.
"The licenses renew every year on March 31. If you buy one, it's only valid until the next year, so this is the best time to be getting into it. Everything is picking up right now and it’s only going to get better over the summer," Newman said. "I think it's going to be a good year."
Ethan Hunting (he/him) is a city news reporter for The Front this quarter. He transferred to Western this year to join as a third-year news/editorial journalism major. Outside of news writing, he’s usually out hiking a trail, perfecting his cooking or reading a book. You can reach him at ethanhunting.thefront@gmail.com.
