Watson Lake
Rainbow trout water; 5 stockings on the 2026 record.
Columbia County · Washington · see it on the national map
5
stockings 2026
Jun 9
last stocked
6,320
fish reported
4.2
acres (NHD)
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
| Date | Species | Size | Fish | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 3,120 | completed |
| Feb 25 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 100 | completed |
| May 19 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 2,550 | completed |
| May 19 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 50 | completed |
| Jun 9 | Rainbow trout | catchable | 500 | completed |
Gear for this water
It has been a while since the trucks came. The holdovers have spread out and wised up; downsize and fish natural.
For the trout (rainbow trout stocked 5 times here in 2026, stillwater)
| Ultralight spinning rod | 6 to 7 ft ultralight, 4 lb line; long casts from the bank |
| Dough bait rigs | floating dough bait 18 inches above a small egg sinker; hatchery fish know the smell |
| Casting spoons | 1/8 to 1/4 oz in fluorescent or metallic; count down until you find the depth |
Suggestions follow from what the state actually stocks here and what kind of water it is, nothing else. No sponsored placements.
Nearby stocked waters
The closest waters with stocking pages of their own, straight-line miles from this one.
| Water | Distance | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Lake | 1.4 mi | May 15 |
| Rainbow Lake | 2.0 mi | Jun 17 |
| Curl Lake (Landlocked) | 2.3 mi | Jun 3 |
| Blue Lake | 2.8 mi | Jun 18 |
| Spring Lake | 3.5 mi | Jun 18 |
Records from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
(official page). Placement from USGS GNIS
and the National Hydrography Dataset. Schedules change without notice.
Seasons, limits, and licenses:
Washington fishing
regulations.