Where will you go on opening day?

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If they stock Margaret with the nice size fish they did last year...Margaret hands down. If not Margaret, then probably a little early Lake Alice action, because they usually stock that one in early-mid March...and it's non stop action till your hands fall off. Pine is always a sure bet.

[Kevin K]

While I would prefer to avoid the opening day crowds and fish a year round lake, I'll most likely end up at Margaret. I am taking a few people fishing that day, and can't think of a better way to get them hooked (pun intended) than going to a nicely stocked lake where they will almost certainly catch their limits.

[Dave]

Good topic. Around the first of April before the closed lakes open and the zoo of people come out to fish, Cranberry Lake at Deception Pass State Park gets a huge stock of trout. I start fishing Cranberry after the stocking and I have never had a bad trip there. No one will be there and the fish hang in the same spot on the lake every year. I use the same set up and my wife and I limit in about an hour every time out. (See the fishing reports for complete details). I also notice that these fish don’t have the typical white meat of a freshly stocked trout which is unusual. The meat is pink and these fish taste great (no muddy flavor) so baking them up or pan frying them in butter is awesome. They also smoke up great. So while everyone is packing the opener lakes and tempers are everywhere, I will be at Cranberry Lake, just my wife and I and maybe a few others at best. It is a great lake, the fish are active and fight well and there is never a lot of boats on the lake. This lake also holds lunker brown trout and often a limit will include a carry over or two and they fight like a champ. This holds true through mid June when the water warms and the trout become uninterested in feeding. Cranberry lake is just not a busy lake fishing by boat. After the crowds die down (usually a few weeks after the opener), I will fish Heart Lake in Anacortes, and Lake Ki in the 7 lakes area on Snohomish County. I also like to fish Erie in Anacortes but it is so shallow there I find it less enjoyable, but the trout are usually larger which draws me there. Good luck and good fishin.

[cavdad45]

Cranberry is a great all-around lake. Bass or trout, it good fishing with wonderful scenery.

[mallard83]

I will be out at Margret behind Duvall like most openers with my brother and friends. I usually take a nice limit of cutthroats in "my spot". Most of the cutthroats are 8-14" and taste great unlike the stocker bows. And I don't mind the opener crowds because I enjoy watching other people's antics on the water.

[A9]

And I don't mind the opener crowds because I enjoy watching other people's antics on the water.

Agreed. Sometimes you just wanna post up in a lawn chair and enjoy watching the once a year fishermen try and launch their boat....Can provide great entertainment...

[mallard83]

And I don't mind the opener crowds because I enjoy watching other people's antics on the water.

Agreed. Sometimes you just wanna post up in a lawn chair and enjoy watching the once a year fishermen try and launch their boat....Can provide great entertainment...

Even more funny than watching people on opening day of trout try and launch their small lake boats is watching the once a year fisherman during humpy season trying to launch an even bigger boat into a river. I have seen more stupid and funny things happen at the launch during humpy season than I can even count. The one thing that you can count on though is that there will always be entertianment when these seasons come.

[VooDuuChild]

Opening day; what's that? I don't fish seasonally, just appropriate species for the season all year long. What I find completely amusing is when people cram themselves into a lake such as Cassidy on opening day when I was all by myself the week prior as it's open year-round! Silly silly people. If'n I'm not working, odds are I'll be in one of my secret holes pullin slabs of Crappie for dinner and Bluegill for dessert!

[Nik]

[quote="VooDuuChild"]Opening day]

i think opening day is that day in late February when the ice comes off the lake.