Guys and gals,

I am a Park Ranger for WA State Parks stationed at Lake Easton State Park. I was cruising your informative website and was surprised to see information you have posted on Lake Easton. Lake Easton has not been planted with catchable trout for at least four years. The lake is considered a "wide spot" in the Yakima River and be a part of the salmon restoration project I think. This is a shame in that fishing is a huge recreational draw for our visitors and obviously the fishing is poor. Apparently the decision to not stock it any more was made without public comment. I have only seen a handful of fish caught in the lake and there seem to be more bull trout than anything. There are a few rainbow and eastern brook that move in and out of lower Kachess river and the Yakima. There are many questions as to why they don't plant Lake Easton, the main reason according to John Easterbrooks of WDFW in Yakima, being escapement of stocked trout in the Yakima river system. Maybe you and your readers would like to ask Mr. Easterbrooks why Lake Easton is singled out considering that virtually all the ponds/lakes that are adjacent to the Yakima River and stocked, have escapement inlets or outlets. These would include Easton Ponds, Lavender, Matoon. Please call John and see if you can get some straight answers, and if nothing else keep the fish that are planted at the other lakes from escaping.

*Editor's note: overview has been changed to reflect this information.

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