Rainbows, Followed By Rain -- Wet Trout Opener Is A Fishing Ritual

Three things you can count on when trout-fishing season opens Saturday.

Hands that reek of Power Bait. Hundreds of thousands of replicant hatchery-produced fish. And several feet of rain.

Chances for all three are good Saturday, when hundreds of thousands of state residents troop to local lakes for the Opening Day ritual. More than ever, ritual is the correct term. The shift of many local lakes to all-year fishing has taken some of the rush-to-get-'em fervor out of the trout opener.

Still, even local lakes that are open all year aren't stocked with rainbow trout until just before Saturday's opener, giving anglers plenty of reason to camp out under a big blue tarp and haul fish between thunder claps.

State Fish and Wildlife workers have planted 17 million trout in Washington lakes in recent weeks. Most are "catchable" size - 8 to 10 inches, not suitable for framing, but perfectly fit for frying pans. About 500,000 of those are released in Puget Sound-area lakes.

Fishing, however, often is more productive in Central and Eastern Washington lakes, which have the added advantage of drier weather. See below for a list of top prospects.

Wherever you choose to go, make sure you're properly equipped. The essentials:

-- License: Everyone 15 through 69 needs a $17 game-fishing license. Kids 14 and under fish free, and seniors 70 and over need a $3 senior license.

-- Tackle: The trout-fishing world is divided into two

distinct camps, which engage in annual ritualistic arguing not unlike the traditional Ford/Chevy debates that have raged for decades in local high schools. The Hardware People suggest that lures, such as Mepps spinners or Dick Nite spoons, are the trout-attractant of choice.

The Bait People used to staunchly defend marshmallows and red salmon eggs. Now most have jumped ship to the Power Bait boat. The sticky, smelly substance of mysterious origin has taken over as the biggest bait in the country. We don't know what's in it, but it stays on the hook and produces plenty of fish. Power Bait now is available in every conceivable color and shape: Power nuggets, Power eggs, Power frogs, Power grub worms. Choose your weapon.

The fact is, both bait and hardware prove successful on hatchery fish, most of which are so stupid they would pursue and attempt to swallow an old Tom Jones LP.

Best bets for Saturday's opener:

Puget Sound area

-- Pine Lake (88 acres; 4 miles north of Issaquah): Good fishing pier at the county park; recently stocked. Other good King County bets are North, Langlois, Cottage and Wilderness.

-- Lake Ki (97 acres; 8 miles northwest of Marysville): A popular lake and strong Opening Day producer. Other good Snohomish County lakes are Armstrong, Howard, and Martha at Alderwood Manor.

-- Silver Lake (173 acres, 3 miles north of Maple Falls): Expected to be a strong Opening Day producer, as are other Whatcom County Lakes, such as Lake Padden and Toad Lake, both near Bellingham.

-- Heart Lake (61 acres; 2.5 miles southwest of Anacortes): Usually one of the West Side's best openers. Other strong Skagit County lakes include Sixteen and Murray, both east of Mount Vernon.

-- Deer Lake (82 acres; mile west of Clinton, Whidbey Island): Holds both rainbow and cutthroat trout. Other Island County best bets are Goss Lake and Cranberry Lake.

-- Wildcat Lake (112 acres; 6 miles northwest of Bremerton): A strong opener, Wildcat also contains some big broodstock fish. Another Kitsap County contender is Buck Lake, 1.5 miles southwest of Hansville.

Central Washington

-- Alta Lake (184 acres; 2 miles southwest of Pateros): Strong opener, with nice campground at the lake (Alta Lake State Park). Other Okanogan County best bets are Fish Lake near Conconully, Conconully Lake and Reservoir, Leader Lake near Okanogan, and Aeneas Lake, a fly-fishing-only venue.

-- Jameson Lake (332 acres; 8 miles south of Mansfield): Flooding hurt last year, but the picture has improved. Grimes Lake is another Douglas County top producer, but doesn't open until June 1.

-- Blue Lake (532 acres): Stocked with 9- to 11-inch rainbows and produces a fair number of carryover fish. Other good Grant County Lakes are Park, Dry Falls, Lenice, Merry and Nunnally. Those lakes produce large fish but have special regulations: Dry Falls open April 27 to Nov. 30, with a one-trout daily limit. Lenice, Merry and Nunnally will be open through Oct. 31 with a one-trout daily limit.

-- Wapato Lake (186 acres; 8 miles northwest of Chelan): Crowded lake, but good results for the opener.

-- Fio Rito Lakes (54 acres; near Ellensburg along Interstate 82): Good freeway and bank-fishing access make these small lakes popular.

-- Rotary Lake (23 acres; along the Greenway Trail in Yakima): Stocked with rainbow and brown trout and some largemouth bass up to 7 pounds. Other top Yakima County fisheries are Wenas Lake (special regulations) and the I-82 ponds between Union Gap and Zillah.

Eastern Washington

-- Ellen Lake (78 acres; 14 miles north of Inchelium): A nice spot with a conveniently located Forest Service campground. Crowded on Opening Day. Other top Ferry County producers are Curlew Lake and Ferry Lake, both near Republic.

-- West Medical Lake (235 acres; mile west of Medical Lake): Coming back strong from a massive drought in 1994. Other good Spokane County lakes are Fish Lake and Amber Lake near Cheney (special regulations).

-- Fishtrap Lake (196 acres; 6.5 miles east of Sprague): A top spring producer, Fishtrap in Lincoln County has easy access with a public launch and private resort.

Southwest Washington

Klineline Ponds (on I-5 near Hazel Dell): Two lakes receive heavy pressure and produce big fish. Other good regional lakes include Mineral and Kress.