Land Of Lakes -- One Of The South End's Best-Kept Secrets Is Its Abundance Of Hidden Waterways

Inside sports

-- Fishing reports and information on lakes not listed here are available on Infoline, a free telephone-information service of The Seattle Times. From any touch-tone phone, call 464-2000 and enter categroy LAKE (5253).

For an overview of the fishing opener and details on urban lakes, turn to the Outdoors page on G 8 in the Sports section. --------------------------------------------------------------- Vi Anderson has lived across the street from Lake Desire for 28 years. She's seen her view of Mount Rainier disappear behind her neighbors' growing trees. She's watched the lake's water quality deteriorate because of development. She's put up with opening-day fishers who stampede across her property.

But she's not complaining.

There's something about spending an afternoon amid squawking blue herons and playful otters floating aimlessly on gently lapping water that's ringed by hemlocks, firs and huge broad-leaf maples.

"We also get some eagles once in awhile," says Anderson. "It's really a natural and beautiful area."

Lake Desire, a few miles southeast of Renton, is one of more than 7,000 lakes in Washington. South King County has 66 of those lakes, which play a big part in the region's being the sportsman's paradise that it is.

The south-county's lakes range from Lake Sawyer, a 279-acre lake southeast of Black Diamond surrounded by houses and a county park, to Arrow Lake in Normandy Park, which is less than half an acre and is in the center of a mobile-home park.

The lakes here also include mysterious Horseshoe Lake near Black Diamond that, inexplicably, rose far above normal levels last year, damaging nearby homes. And there is Spring Lake, a 67-acre lake between Renton and Maple Valley where peat moss thick enough to stand on lines its shores and offers an oddly beautiful sight.

Many of the lakes will open Sunday for the general fishing season for lowland lakes that runs to Oct. 31. Area lakes are expected to be swarmed with boaters and fishers beginning before sunrise and continuing past dusk on opening day. Among the fish they'll be trying to catch are rainbow trout raised in state hatcheries.

"It's probably the single biggest sporting event in the state," said Chuck Phillips, fish biologist for the Department of Wildlife.

On a recent Sunday at Fenwick Lake, a small lake two miles southwest of Kent that's open to fishing year round, the weather was good but the fish weren't biting. The banks of the 18-acre lake, which is run by the city of Kent, were filled with about 200 people, but only a few had catches.

"Too warm," said Jill Nester of Renton, who was fishing from the banks with her mother-in-law. She said she was told the lake has been good for fishing recently and that a boy had hauled in a 10-pound trout.

Others didn't mind that the fish were staying away; they simply took in the nice weather and relaxing atmosphere.

That's something that Anderson, who, even though she lives about 100 yards from Lake Desire, doesn't get to do as much as she'd like.

As is the case with all surface water in the state, the water in the lake belongs to the public. But, for many lakes, that doesn't mean you can jump in anytime.

A small public-access area on Lake Desire will be open 10 months this year, closing July 5 through Aug. 31, meaning Anderson and others without lakefront property won't be able to use it during the hottest months.

That's because the rest of Lake Desire's lakefront belongs to homeowners. Land surrounding some lakes, such as Lake Burien in Burien and Jones Lake in Black Diamond, contain no public access areas. A spokesman for Black Diamond said the city is negotiating to buy land around Jones Lake and plans to build a park there in the next five years.

Lake schedules vary to give fishers a variety, said Kurt Kramer, biologist for the Department of Wildlife. He said some lakes, such as Desire, are closed during July and August to give lake residents a break. Fishing is slow during those months, but use among boaters is heavy during that time as are problems with loud parties, especially at night, Kramer said.

Come fishing season, Anderson won't want to go on the lake much either. It will be packed with boats since, once again, word is out that Lake Desire, known for its rainbow trout and yellow perch, is expected to be a top fishing spot.

"We look out there some years and it's so thick with boats it looks like you could walk from boat to boat," she said.

Fish-planting schedules also are varied to give fishers more opportunities and to combat the problem of fish-eating birds. Double-crested cormorants and merganzers cause the biggest problem.

"We needed to put the fishermen on equal footing with the birds," Kramer said. "In some cases, when we planted a few weeks ahead of a lake opening, 80 to 90 percent of these fish would be gone before the first day."

Weeds are the biggest threat to water quality in South King County lakes - specifically Eurasian milfoil and purple loosestrife, said Bob Brenner, water-quality project coordinator for Metro.

Eurasian milfoil, a persistent dark-green weed that was first used in home aquariums, grows rampant in many lakes. It's partly responsible for turning water green and is a problem for any boater who has to untangled it from his or her motor.

Purple loosestrife is another problem weed. Algae also contributes to green and brown water.

Brenner is in charge of a 20-person volunteer group that monitors water quality on lakes near their homes.

Lake Meridian, a 150-acre lake four miles east of Kent, improved dramatically after sewers were installed for its surrounding homes. Back then, you could only see one to two feet below the water surface; now you can see seven to 22 feet.

The lake with the clearest water among the 20 monitored is 71-acre Angle Lake, only a couple miles from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. A gravel bottom and scattered vegetation protect its clarity.

The worst the group regularly monitors is Fivemile Lake, four miles southwest of Auburn. A foot below its surface, the water turns to the color of iced tea.

The closest thing to a bible of the state's lakes is "Lakes of Washington," a two-volume edition of more than 1,500 pages that includes details about size and location.

But even that book isn't considered the final authority. The books' writers, for instance, aren't sure of the names of some lakes.

They cite Ginder Lake as an example. The tiny lake east of Black Diamond is known on all U.S. geographical maps as Cinder Lake, which would makes sense since the area once was used for mining. Local residents for years, though, have called it Ginder Lake. No one is quite sure why.

Sometimes the creative inspirations ran dry: consider Lake No. 12 (it's official name) east of Black Diamond.

TOP FISHING SPOTS

(As predicted by the Department of Wildlife) Angle Lake (SeaTac, off Pacific Highway, north of South 200th Street): Year-round fishing; 71 acres; rainbow trout, largemouth bass, crappie and yellow perch; county boat launch on west shore; park on west side.

Bass Lake (3 1/2 miles north of Enumclaw, off Highway 169): Year-round fishing; 24 acres; yellow perch, crappie and pumpkinseed sunfish; state boat ramp on east shore.

Boren Lake (4 miles north of Renton off Coal Creek Parkway Southeast): 15 acres; rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch and catfish; public ramp on northeast corner; park to the south.

Desire Lake (3 miles east of Renton): 71 acres; rainbow trout, yellow perch; pumpkinseed sunfish and largemouth bass; boat ramp on north end. Open Sept. 1 to July 4.

Fenwick Lake (2 miles southwest of Kent): 18 acres; rainbow trout, largemouth bass, catfish, yellow perch; boat ramp on west shore. Picnic tables, park. Open year round.

Fivemile Lake (4 miles southwest of Auburn): 38 acres; rainbow trout and largemouth bass; dock and bank access; county park.

Geneva Lake (2 1/2 miles southwest of Auburn): 28 acres; rainbow trout; state boat ramp on southwest shore; county park.

Killarney Lake (3 1/2 miles southwest of Auburn): 31 acres; rainbow trout, largemouth bass, yellow perch, pumpkinseed sunfish, catfish; state boat ramp on northeast side; bank fishing available. Fishing year round.

Meridian Lake (4 miles east of Kent): 150 acres; rainbow trout, bass, perch, catfish; state boat ramp; bank fishing available in county park.

North Lake (3 miles west of Auburn, south of 320th on Weyerhaeuser Road): rainbow trout; state boat ramp.

Peterson Lake (2 miles northwest of Maple Valley): 5 acres; cutthroat trout and rainbow trout; no developed access; open year round.

Ravensdale Lake (quarter-mile west of Ravensdale): 18 acres; cutthroat trout; no developed access.

Sawyer Lake (2 miles northwest of Black Diamond): 279 acres; rainbow, cutthroat, kokanee, yellow perch, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, catfish and pumpkinseed sunfish; boat ramp and bank fishing; huge county park.

Shadow Lake (2 1/2 miles west of Maple Valley): 49 acres; rainbow trout, sunfish, perch, bass; state boat ramp on north.

Shady Lake (3 1/2 miles northwest of Maple Valley): 21 acres; rainbow, cutthroat trout; open early June to July 4, then early September to October.

Spring Lake (between Renton and Maple Valley): 67 acres; rainbow, largemouth bass, yellow perch and catfish; ramp on southwest shore; limited shore fishing.

Star Lake (3 miles southwest of Kent): 34 acres; trout; primitive ramp on south shore.

Trout Lake (4 miles southwest of Auburn): 18 acres; rainbow trout, catfish; primitive boat ramp on north side.

Twelve Lake (1 1/2 miles northeast of Blake Diamond): 43 acres; rainbow trout; largemouth bass, catfish, pumpkinseed sunfish; state boat ramp on south shore.

Lake Washington (between Seattle and Bellevue): 22,000 acres; rainbow trout, yellow perch, cutthroat trout, large and smallmouth bass; Gene Coulon Park has a boat ramp, public fishing pier. Huge park area.

Wilderness Lake (2 1/2 south of Maple Valley): 67 acres; rainbow trout, kokanee; state boat ramp through huge county park.

TOP LAKEFRONT PARKS Gene Coulon Park, Renton: 52-acre park on Lake Washington; 1 1/2 miles of paved lakefront for jogging, walking, biking; picnic tables; rentals for paddle boats, canoes, volleyball, horseshoes; concession stands.

Lake Wilderness, south of Maple Valley: 80-acre park, picnic tables, volleyball.

Steel Lake, Federal Way: Small park with sand volleyball courts, children's play area, fishing off pier, picnic tables, lifeguard at swimming beach in June, state boat ramp.

Lakewood Park, White Center: Small lake, Lake Garrett, surrouned by small, old park with frisbee golf course, picnic tables, no boating, swimming.

Lake Meridan, 4 miles east of Kent: big, recently renovated park with boat launch, picnic tables.

Kennydale Park, Renton: Childrens' play area, picnic tables, bank fishing, swimming.

Angle Lake, SeaTac: Small boat launch, picnic and play areas; lifeguard at swimming beach, concession stand.