describe the parasite... do you mean sea lice?

what do these parasites look like and how do you spot them?

I was there a couple a days ago....they look like little white ,what looks to be, maggots hanging off their bodies and digging in their skin. Its really gross and REALLY bad. Trout are just covered with them all over. Every trout I caught and my buddy, we didn't want to touch really....Its that bad.

tht lake has been suspect for many years i have heard a lot of diffrent stories just dnt know wht to think... all i know is i dnt fsh tht lake anymore beacuse of the gross looking fsh!!

Sea lice would be a good thing after reading about freshwater parasites, but don't exist in fresh water. Sealice keep the anal fin area of a fish clean and free of bacteria...freshwater parasites burro into the flesh and cause all sorts of problems. They cause eating disorders, weight loss and motor skills depreciation. There are so many origins of parasites it's mind boggling. Most can't be identified without the use of a microscope. Really doesn't prompt me to go out and catch trout around here for food. I'll stick to cold water species after reading that. yech!

I suspect what you are seeing is a copepod. Not sea lice for sure. These little white buggers like to get in the gill arches thick and also around the anal areas. What they want is blood. Summit Lake in Thurston County is infamous for them and they attack both the Kokanee and bows. Sometimes when I catch the bows as incidentals while targeting Kokanee ,,I really hate to even touch them to release the bows. "Wart Bows" is what I call them. When WDFW overplanted Summit a couple of years ago the majority of the copepods attacked the bows and the Kokanee came out the better for it. Never have I seen them on a bass, nor perch or anything else. Not all lakes have them and that is a blessing for sure. But when they do,,, they really infest the trout and Kokanee. Copepods for sure.

And to imagine seeing all those people swimming there... ugh.

there's trout in Desire?