More than two dozen lakes across Eastern Washington are set to open March 1, although unpredictable winter-like conditions could limit trout fishing options and success.
“We’ve had a mild winter, and early March can be a great time for early lake fishing opportunities,” said Steve Caromile, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) statewide inland fish program manager. “As the days become longer, these early spring fisheries are a good way to start the year. Some eastside lakes may have some remaining thin ice, especially in the northeastern region of the state. WDFW doesn’t monitor ice conditions, so use extra caution before venturing out this year.”
Depending upon the severity of late winter weather, some lakes, especially those in the northeastern region, may still be iced over. WDFW doesn’t monitor ice conditions, so anglers should check ice conditions before heading out.
The initial best bets will likely be Martha and Upper Caliche lakes near George in Grant County. Each can be an excellent choice, and anglers should expect good fishing in 2026.
Martha and Upper Caliche lakes received 500 catchable 10- to 12-inch rainbow trout in the fall off 2025 and should be in the 13- to 14-inch range by opening day. WDFW planted another 325 catchable trout in time for the March 1 opener, and 3,900 fingerling trout (one- to three-inches long) were planted in April of 2025, and those that survived should contribute to spring-time catches.
It is not uncommon for Upper Caliche to still be frozen on March 1. However, there’s almost always plenty of open water on Martha Lake on the opener. The north section of Martha Lake is usually ice-free with plenty of shoreline space, and that’s likely where most of the trout will be concentrated.
In Grant County, Quincy and Burke lakes should both fish well this spring, and improved boat launch sites. Shore anglers should have plenty of room to fish with ample access to the lakes. Both lakes received 1,500 catchable-sized trout in February, and each was stocked with more than 21,000 fingerling in April of 2025. Most fish will be in the 10- to 12-inch range, with some carryover trout in the 13-to 15-inch range. Try casting spinners and small spoons from the shoreline.
The Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Trout Derby is March 27-28 at Quincy and Burke lakes. Cost is $40 per person over age 18 and free for youth ages 17 and under. For details, go to: https://quincyvalleywa.chambermaster.com/events/details/trout-fishing-derby-2026-1300.
Lake Lenore in Grant County is also open on March 1 with a one-fish daily limit and an 18-inch minimum size limit. This is one of only six lakes in Washington with Lahontan Cutthroat.
Other lakes and ponds in Grant County included in the March 1 opener are Cascade, Dry Falls, Lenice, Merry, North Potholes Reserve, Nunnally, Stratford/Brook, and Winchester Wasteway.
Also note that within the Quincy Lakes Unit of the Columbia Basin Wildlife Area, there are many walk-in lakes that open March 1. These lakes can provide not only good fishing, but also solitude.
With their boat launches, parking, and shore access, Quincy and Burke lakes tend to attract the most attention when these Grant County, Washington, waters open March 1, but WDFW biologist Michael Schmuck notes that he stocks several nearby smaller and less well-known lakes that grow footlong-plus rainbows.
“There is a good chance for anglers to have them all to themselves, and many are down in small canyons that afford good protection from the spring winds,” said Schmuck.
Hike-in Dusty Lake is a selective gear lake that has excellent rainbow trout fishing as well as brown and tiger trout. Just southeast of Dusty is a collection of small lakes that hold rainbow trout. Cliff, Crystal, Cup, and Lower and Upper Spring lakes are small enough that they can all be fished in a morning. All these lakes receive spring fingerling rainbow trout and produce good catches of fish in the 12- to 14-inch range, with some up to 20 inches.
The greater Spokane region has several March 1 openers, including Liberty Lake that can be good around the opener for brown and rainbow trout averaging 12 to 16 inches. Statewide rules apply at Liberty Lake.
There are other March 1 opener lakes managed under “selective gear rules”, but the action doesn’t generally pick up until the weather warms up. However, fishing can be pretty good, but not great, until warmer weather arrives. Those lakes include Amber and Medical in Spokane County; and Coffeepot in Lincoln County. Amber and Coffeepot are managed with an 18-inch minimum size limit and a daily limit one-fish regulation. Medical has a 14-inch minimum size limit and a daily limit two-fish regulation.
Downs Lake, located in south Spokane County, typically opens for early-season fishing on March 1, but it is not accessible to the public this season. Access to the lake is limited to a privately owned resort that is currently closed. No fish were stocked in 2026, and stocking will not resume until public access is available. WDFW is working to restore public access.
And finally, all seven human-made lakes off the Tucannon River in Columbia County –
Blue, Deer, Rainbow, Spring, and Watson — have open water and are stocked with rainbows weighing up to 1.5 pounds each. Pampa Pond in Whitman County is also open March 1 for rainbow trout fishing.
Trout plants by lakes
Grant County (general fishing regulations with season open March 1 through Sept. 30) –
Burke, 1,500 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in February, and 21,226 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in April of 2025;
Upper Caliche, 325 rainbow trout stocked in March, 500 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in October of 2025, and 3,900 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in April of 2025;
Cliff, 400 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025;
Crystal, 400 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025; Cup, 200 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025;
Martha, 500 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in March, 750 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in October of 2025, and 8,400 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025;
Quincy, 1,500 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in February, and 21,177 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in April of 2025;
Lower Spring, 200 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025;
Upper Spring, 200 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in March of 2025.
Grant County (selective fishing regulations with season open March 1 through Nov. 30)
Dry Falls, 4,670 fingerling rainbow trout and 1,500 fingerling brook trout stocked in March of 2025;
Dusty, 3,000 fingerling rainbow trout, 2,500 fingerling brook trout, and 2,200 tiger trout stocked in May of 2025;
Lenice, 2,250 catchable-size rainbow trout to be stocked in April of 2026, and 3,000 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in October of 2025;
Lenore, 72,125 fingerling rainbow trout stocked in October of 2025;
Nunnally, 2,750 catchable-size rainbow trout to be stocked in April, and 3,000 catchable-size rainbow trout stocked in October of 2025.
Spokane County – Liberty, 4,000 catchable-size rainbow and 350 jumbo rainbow trout stocked in spring of 2026, 15,000 fry rainbow trout, 35,000 fry brook trout and 1,200 broodstock eastern brook trout stocked in fall of 2025;
Amber, 7,500 fry rainbow trout and 1,000 fry cutthroat trout stocked in spring of 2025;
Medical, 2,500 put-grow-take brook trout to be stocked in April 2026 (these trout are 2.6 to 10 fish per pound in size and should be in the catchable size by mid-summer), and 5,000 fry rainbow trout stocked in spring of 2025;
Coffeepot, 5,000 put-grow-take rainbow trout to be stocked in spring of 2026 (these trout are 2.6 to 10 fish per pound in size and should be in the catchable size by mid-summer).
Other useful information and resources
- Many westside year-round lakes are also being stocked with trout in early spring. Visit the WDFW website at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports/stocking/trout-plants for specific weekly fish stocking numbers.
- Mark your calendar for the highly anticipated 2026 statewide general lowland lakes trout opener on April 25.
- The WDFW Trout Derby will be held from April 25 through Oct. 31 at more than 100 stocked lakes and ponds across Washington. In 2025, more than 100 statewide businesses offered an estimated 1,091 prizes valued at around $54,858 and worth about $50.28 per prize, which was up considerably from previous years, dating back to 2016. WDFW is currently preparing for the 2026 trout derby and will have updated information soon. The success of the trout derby would only be possible through WDFW’s ongoing partnerships with business dealers/vendors throughout the state. The derby, held for the past 10 years, has generated close to 55 to 60 percent of the tags turned in for prizes. To help boost catching a tagged trout, WDFW will have a list of all the lakes in real-time where prizes are left to be claimed. Be sure to share your derby success on social media using the hashtag #watroutderby. The WDFW Trout Derby webpage https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/contests/trout-derby should be updated soon with 2026 information.
- You can find information on statewide lowland lake locations by going to the WDFW webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes. Basic trout fishing techniques on the WDFW YouTube webpage at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9A5UiJJMks&list=PLo22nBM4mjeStU58nRnZFYCys3hAtT2Yg. More trout fishing tips can also be found on the WDFW webpage at https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes.
