by Jai Colvin for Anglers Club Magazine, September 10, 2017

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, located on the west side of the Cascades, is one of the most visited forests in the United Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National ForestStates. The Canadian border is to the north and Mt Rainer Park is to the south. This deep forest is surrounded by mountains, offering an incredible backdrop to some of the best fishing in the world. But it’s not always easy to pick where to fish – the forest covers almost 2 million acres. To help you decide, here’s a list of what we think are a few of the best waters to fish in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Chelan County

Hope Lake is located in Chelan County and offers brook, cutthroat and rainbow trout. This is considered a “high lake”, as many of the lakes in the Mt. Baker area are, so check the weather conditions in the fall and winter before heading out. The GPS coordinates are 47°41’56.6?N 121°05’24.5?W.

King County

Anderson Lake offers easy fishing with cutthroat, golden and rainbow trout on tap. This is a small lake at 2.1 acres. It’s easy to get to and offers family friendly fishing. The GPS coordinates are 47°36’06.1?N 121°29’02.5?W.

Angeline Lake is a larger lake at 183.7 acres and has some great boat fishing. There’s ramp access as well as relatively easy bank access for anglers all ages and mobility levels. Rainbow trout is what you’ll find on the end of your line here. The GPS coordinates are 47°34’14.8?N 121°18’25.7?W.

Looking for a place to sit back and the fish come to you? Surprise Lake offers just that. At a mere 22.6 acres this relatively small lake offers three kinds of trout; brook, cutthroat and rainbow. There have been some rather large fish pulled out of these waters, too. The GPS coordinates are 47°40’04.7?N 121°08’26.6?W.

Lewis County

A little farther south in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest area is Newaukum Lake. This is a smaller lake but the locals say it’s the place to head for brown trout. It’s easily accessed and offers some incredible scenery. This is one of four lakes in Lewis County that lie in the realm of Mt. Baker. It’s by far the most fished one. Its GPS coordinates are 46°39’52.6?N 122°28’28.9?W.

Pierce County

Echo Lake is one of the best places to hook in Pierce County. This lake is 51.2 acres and offers cutthroat that are rumored to get pretty big. There is ramp access as well as lots of bank access and this lake, although a high lake, is easily accessed farther into the winter than most other high lakes. The GPS coordinates are 47°02’28.4?N 121°25’26.8?W.

Skagit County

You can’t fish Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest without testing out Whale Lake in Skagit County. This lake is well stocked with rainbow every year and is a fun spot to angle. Popular with families, Whale offers a chance to hook the big one. The GPS coordinates are 48°26’48.0?N 121°17’30.0?W.

Snohomish County

A little known fishing area in the Snohomish part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie area are the Dollars. Locals fish here because so many don’t know about these small fishing gems. Touting mostly rainbows, these fishing holes run between .4 and 5.5 acres depending on which one you choose but they are worth an afternoon. The GPS coordinates are 47°51’37.4?N, 121°33’25.0?W, 47°51’44.4?N 121°33’32.4?W, 47°51’25.5?N 121°33’44.7?W and 47°51’23.6?N 121°33’40.4?W.

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Whatcom County

This is a no-brainer – fish the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest area and you have to hit Baker Lake. At a whopping 4755.3 acres, this lake offers weeks and weeks of fishing with rainbows leading the charge in terms of types of fishing. Fun all year long, this is a very popular lake for a number of recreational activities; you will be sharing the water. The GPS coordinates are 48°43’36.6?N 121°37’41.9?W.

Yakima County

Let’s be honest, an angling trip to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest area will take you quite a ways in terms of travel. The last stop will be Yakima County (unless, of course you are starting there) and the fishing here is just as good as it is on the west side. Here Clear Lake offers both cutthroat and rainbow trout, and at 232.1 acres you will be able to find a quiet spot to sink your line. The GPS coordinates are 46°37’39.8?N 121°16’34.4?W

These are just a few of the lakes to fish in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest area. For the record, here are the number of fishing lakes, holes and ponds in each of these counties just waiting to be explored:

Chelan County – 2

King County – 207

Lewis County – 4

Pierce County – 28

Skagit County – 50

Snohomish County – 118

Whatcom – 36

Yakima County – 51