LAKE MARTHA FIELD GUIDE · STOCKED GAME FISH
Rainbow trout.
Oncorhynchus mykiss
KNOW YOUR CATCH
How to find and
recognize this fish.
A silvery trout with dense black spotting, a pink-to-rose band along its side, and spots carried onto the tail.
Cast a 1/8-ounce silver or gold spoon or inline spinner beyond the drop-off, let it sink briefly, and retrieve steadily.
01 Where it lives +
Cool water near the first drop-off in spring; deeper, cooler water as the lake warms; nearshore again when fall temperatures arrive.
02 When to fish +
Spring is the strongest season after statewide stocking. Dawn, overcast periods, and the hour before sunset are reliable windows.
03 What it eats +
Young fish begin with zooplankton. Larger rainbows eat aquatic and terrestrial insects, crustaceans, fish eggs, and small fish.
04 How it behaves +
Rainbows often cruise open water and temperature edges, moving deeper during bright, warm conditions.
05 Handle with care +
Wet your hands, keep the fish in the water while removing the hook, and release promptly if it is not being kept legally.
KEEP READING
The official
field notes.
Species details are grounded in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service information. Lake presence and seasonal prospects come from Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife species profile ↗WDFW Lake Martha report ↗MORE IN THE LAKE
