Private lakes

[toothfangclaw]

Do you need a fishing license to fish private lakes?

[Skyvalhunter]

privately stocked?

[Knocker of rocks]

privately stocked?

I don't think private stocking is allowed.  On anything other than an aquarium, WDFW has to sigh off because of stream connection.

Of course private stocking happens all the time, which is why lakes need to have piscocide applied often

[bearpaw]

I don't think you need a license to fish privately owned lakes that are privately stocked.

[sirfunkeybut]

You might still need one regardless of privately stocked or not, I know a guy the owns a lake and has to have a license to fish it because the Yakima river floods into it very year, because of that there is a possibility that there may be state owned fish in there

[toothfangclaw]

I do not know if it's privately stocked. It was a question the wife asked, she said a family friend told her a few years ago she could fish on his lake and she didn't have a license at the time. 

[boneaddict]

Interested to see the answer to this from someone official.   I understood that the state owned ALL WATER whether it was private or not, and if they owned the water and the game fish in it, then that would be one answer.  Of course the other answer is that if its private land and privately stocked then who is going to check you while fishing it.

[Dhoey07]

The state does own all water.  People may own the land under it, but not the water itself. 

[HornHoarder]

I don't think that is true, that the state owns all water. We have two ponds on our property that we built, and stocked. Now you think the state owns them? I dont think so.

[singleshot12]

The state may have some control over a natural body of water that flows into the saltwater but that's it.

[Dhoey07]

I don't think that is true, that the state owns all water. We have two ponds on our property that we built, and stocked. Now you think the state owns them? I dont think so.

Here ya go, first sentence.

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/rights/water-right-home.html

[HornHoarder]

That is way to broad of a definition. So if the state owns ALL water in WA, I dont even have rights to my own well, or bottled water in the fridge? Kind of getting off topic, but I still believe there are private lakes and ponds, and you do not need a liscense to fish them.

[Dhoey07]

That is way to broad of a definition. So if the state owns ALL water in WA, I dont even have rights to my own well, or bottled water in the fridge? Kind of getting off topic, but I still believe there are private lakes and ponds, and you do not need a liscense to fish them.

Water rights are confusing as hell, and yeah i guess i was  little off topic. As for private wells, the dept of ecology actually issues rights to have wells, but many are not significant enough in water volume for DOE to care.

I just thought it was interesting. I went to a CECSL training class last month and pretty much had the same conversation. 

Back on topic, I wouldn't buy a license to fish in my own pond whether it was legal or not 
I volunteered at a U-fish in my senior year in high school and i highly doubt any of those people had fishing licenses.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I know a guy who fly fishes "Trophy Lakes" , something I was a little confused with, until he explained that it is a golf course/fly fishing place near Port Orchard (?) no licence required.
Trout farms do not require a licence...

[Knocker of rocks]

That is way to broad of a definition. So if the state owns ALL water in WA, I don't even have rights to my own well, or bottled water in the fridge?

No it said "waters" not water.  "Waters" would be natural and quasi-natural ground and surface waters.  Once it is legally pumped, diverted etc, it becomes the property of said individual. 

So the state does not own the water in the pipes of your house or water district, the canals of your irrigation district, or in the bottle of your Dasani