Fishing Lake Washington over the Winter Advice?

[luvmystang67]

Hey Hunt-WA Team,

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm going to be living on Mercer Island with dock access.  I work in Bellevue, which means that the most amicable spot I found that my wife and I could both agree on is Mercer Island (no I'm not rich, but the rental market here is fairly low priced compared to home prices).

In any case, for the first time in my life, I'll have almost daily access to Lake WA and a small boat to fish from, with downriggers.

What do I fish for and where do I go?  I'll be kind of across from the Seahawks Training Facility.  I know people catch a lot of perch, which doesn't really get me going.  I'd love to hook into some good rainbows and be able to catch some crawdads (although I think their season is currently closed). 

Anyone on here have good advice for fishing south Lake WA.  To be clear, I'm looking for honey holes (lol).  I don't even really know where to start.  I've looked at some forums and it seems like fish are pretty deep in the winter.  I have no idea which side of Mercer Island is usually better.  I know there's a ton of species in the lake, but I feel like bass will be half asleep until June.  What else should I be after?

Anyone on the lake need a fishing partner over the winter?

[Angry Perch]

Hey Hunt-WA Team,

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm going to be living on Mercer Island with dock access.  I work in Bellevue, which means that the most amicable spot I found that my wife and I could both agree on is Mercer Island (no I'm not rich, but the rental market here is fairly low priced compared to home prices).

In any case, for the first time in my life, I'll have almost daily access to Lake WA and a small boat to fish from, with downriggers.

What do I fish for and where do I go?  I'll be kind of across from the Seahawks Training Facility. I know people catch a lot of perch, which doesn't really get me going.  I'd love to hook into some good rainbows and be able to catch some crawdads (although I think their season is currently closed). 

Anyone on here have good advice for fishing south Lake WA.  To be clear, I'm looking for honey holes (lol).  I don't even really know where to start.  I've looked at some forums and it seems like fish are pretty deep in the winter.  I have no idea which side of Mercer Island is usually better.  I know there's a ton of species in the lake, but I feel like bass will be half asleep until June.  What else should I be after?

Anyone on the lake need a fishing partner over the winter?

You might want to see a doctor about that!

 

[257wbymagkiller]

Perch are tasty in my opinion so if I catch nice I eat them. But the smallies over the winter will be piled up in structure in deeper water and finesse is the way to go in my opinion. If you locate structure and your catching perch move on till you find more structure.

[Angry Perch]

It's also a very good lake for big cutthroat, and fall/ winter is prime time.

[Alchase]

Plenty of rainbows right in front of your house. I use to troll just of the docks where you will be living. Using willow blade flasher strings, wedding rings or Double Wammy' with a 1/3 nightcrawler threaded up the shank on the upper hook then the lower hook through the tail. Trolling the east side between the island and Bellevue south of I90 bridge is also productive.

[Alchase]

Forgot to add, Cedar River enters the lake just to the west of the Boeing plant a crossed from the south end of the island. Troll back and forth in front of the river mouth.

[blackpowderhunter]

you have electronics on the boat?
pretty easy to mark the trout, and perch schools.
i've caught a few massive rainbows out there while kokanee fishing. 

[blackpowderhunter]

you have electronics on the boat?
pretty easy to mark the trout, and perch schools.
you do owe it to the lake (and the salmon) to give perch fishing a go....super light tackle and it's a riot, AND they're tasty buggers
i've caught a few massive rainbows out there while kokanee fishing. 

[Angry Perch]

I'd wager that most of the "rainbows" are actually cutthroat, as it is by far the dominant species.

[luvmystang67]

I've got some electronics, but I'm not sure how much I trust it.  It tends to show me noisy data in the salt.

Most of my trout fishing has been at opening days of lakes in the springs and summers, where I'm catching stockers on the top of the water or in the first 5-8'.  Otherwise its been fly fishing rivers.  I've not done much on big lakes.

In the winter are these cuttys down at like 50' or something?  Are they going to be larger, wild fish?  Are they kind of in open water?

Do people catch smallies in the winter?  I've tried catching largemouth on my farm ponds at home and I don't think I'm patient enough for them in the winter.

Thanks for the advice.  I'm excited to get out there and give it a shot.

Online it looked like some people had accidentally hooked into kings that we swimming around down there as well.  Seems like you can catch all kinds of good stuff.

[DOUBLELUNG]

I don't have any fishing advice for that lake, but please wear a life jacket

[WSU]

Perch make for a pretty tasty fish fry.  I'd go catch a bunch at least a few times and fry 'em up.

[luvmystang67]

Perch make for a pretty tasty fish fry.  I'd go catch a bunch at least a few times and fry 'em up.

Do you just do heads off, guts out and then whole fish or do you try to fillet the tiny buggers?

Also, anyone ever tried to catch a river monster in the lake?
https://www.king5.com/article/tech/science/environment/whats-lurking-in-lake-washington-monster-fish-explained/281-602612586

[WSU]

Fillet and skin.  It goes quick once you get the hang of it.  Batter and fry.  They have firm, tasty meat.

I hadn't tried it until this summer.  We stayed with my brother in law and his family on a lake.  Kids caught dozens of perch and it didn't take long to fillet them.

[Skillet]

Winter cutthroat fishing is good.  Longfin smelt and three spine stickleback are the primary forage fish, so emulate either for success in the winter.  A pearl UV coho killer is a superb cutt lure.

Perching for monsters in Lk Wa is a real thing. They start grouping up in massive schools in late sept/oct, then start getting deeper as winter comes on. First week of November, I usually looked in 40-60 ft off of Groat Point to start.  Vertical jig a chrome Swedish Pimple with a perch eye as bait.  Great fun, 12"+ fish not uncommon..

[Chesterdog]

PM sent

[Angry Perch]

Winter cutthroat fishing is good.  Longfin smelt and three spine stickleback are the primary forage fish, so emulate either for success in the winter.  A pearl UV coho killer is a superb cutt lure.

Perching for monsters in Lk Wa is a real thing. They start grouping up in massive schools in late sept/oct, then start getting deeper as winter comes on. First week of November, I usually looked in 40-60 ft off of Groat Point to start.  Vertical jig a chrome Swedish Pimple with a perch eye as bait.  Great fun, 12"+ fish not uncommon..

 
For perch, don't look for fish on the bottom, look for humps, or areas where the bottom gets "thick". Get on a good school with a few rods in the boat to keep the action going, and it can be lights out. Don't be scared to size up that spoon a bit too. Think miniature Point Wilson Dart type lures that will rocket to the bottom. Try to fish jigs in 60 feet and your spending more time dropping than reeling 'em up!

[elkchaser54]

I'd fish with ya if you need a buddy . I'm located in seattle too

[J.Brower]

Pm sent as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jeffro]

I always trolled the bridges for trout and caught a lot of whoppers, cuts and rainbows.
But ‘bows over 20” are considered steelhead and must be released, so I targeted cuts mostly.
Might be a bit of a run for you, and the weather can kick up really fast.
I also fished bass down nearer to you, the point outside of Newport shores and the I-90 bridge abutments always seemed to hold fish.
Perch, I would head over to the east side of the channel north of Seahawk camp.
Good luck

[Sutherland]

Your going to have fun, lots of good areas to find fish. Enjoy and share some pictures when you go out. Good luck!

[bassquatch]

Winter bass are all about using your electronics to find structure and cover combinations:

Structure: drop offs, humps, ledges, creek channels, etc.
Cover: wood, rocks, vegetation, dock and bridge pilings,etc.

Combining any of the two is a higher percentage spot. Now through Dec-Jan 30 to 50 feet can be productive with rocks being the best 'cover' option.

Hula grubs and drop shot are good options. Use each with at least 3/4 ounce weights/jigheads. 

[Brushcrawler]

Definitely try out the perch. When you get on a school, drop a waypoint and keep circling back as long as you can find them. It can be really good in the winter!

[Axle]

Perch are a great way to have fun and spend time on Lake WA. Perch tacos are awesome!
One guy who lives on the lake said the perch go to the south end of the lake in fall and winter. He must have been right because that's the only place I can get them in fall and winter.
One day last year, my son and I were fishing in 70' of water and on one end of the boat, my son was nailing the perch but on the other end of the boat, I could not stop catching peamouth chubs. Allmost all of them were 1.5lbs to 2lbs each. We've caught a few crappie in winter too.

[luvmystang67]

I'm excited to give this a shot.  I'll update with photos of success (hopefully).

I'm still not convinced on eating the perch, but it sounds like i need to give that a shot too.

I ate some deer kidneys in the UK and some sheep spinal cord in Kazakhstan, so perch aren't too crazy.

[WSU]

I tried kidneys from an elk I shot and am not sold that they are edible.  Disgusting.  Perch are good.