Watson Lake
Fishing and stocking
Rainbow trout water; 5 stockings on the 2026 record, spread February to June. A 4.2-acre reservoir, and one of 6 stocked waters on the Columbia County record.
Columbia County · Washington · see it on the national map
The year here
stocked last 7 days announced ahead · tap a tick for details
What swims here
Rainbow trout
Stocking record 2026
Agency feed checked today.
| 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 |
When to fish Watson Lake
| Major periods (~2 h) | Minor periods (~1 h) | |
|---|---|---|
| Today | 9:32-11:32 am and 9:55-11:55 pm | 3:52-4:52 am and 4:00-5:00 pm |
| Tomorrow | 10:19 am-12:19 pm and 10:43 pm-12:43 am | 5:06-6:06 am and 4:19-5:19 pm |
Moon: waxing gibbous, 93% lit. These are solunar periods, the traditional feeding-time theory: majors around the moon's transit overhead and underfoot, minors around moonrise and moonset. Theory, not a measurement. Times are Pacific Time (PDT).
What the record actually says
- Last stocked Jun 9
Computed this evening, Oct 23 · Washington fishing forecast
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 |
Follow Columbia County stocking: RSS / Calendar (iCal) / Print the schedule