Hiking and Fishing at Whistle Lake near Anacortes
Whistle Lake is a hike-in only lake within the Anacortes Forest Lands and offers the peace and solitude of a remote lake right in the center of Fidalgo Island.
If you find yourself in the Anacortes area and are looking for a fun outdoor activity, hiking and fishing around Whistle Lake is one of the hidden treasures of the area. While most people head straight to nearby Deception Pass State Park for the scenery, or nearby stocked lakes like Lake Campbell, Lake Erie and Heart Lake for fishing, this is a unique opportunity to get deep into the woods and away from the crowds.
From the parking lot at the Whistle Lake trailhead into the lake itself is a fairly flat .65 mile hike on a wide and well-maintained trail, the full round-trip if you decide to hike all the way around the lake is 3.65 miles, so regardless of your energy level, it's a fairly manageable jaunt to a beautiful lake!
Wild Coastal Cutthroat Trout, Largemouth Bass and Perch make this a great place to fish away from the crowds of nearby stocked lakes.
While it has been over a decade since the lake was last stocked with Rainbow Trout, there is a naturally producing stock of Coastal Cutthroat Trout. The typical catch is 8" to 14" and they are beauties! Try casting a Roostertail Spinner, Acme Kastmaster or Krocodile Spoon from shore, or troll a 4/0 Dodger and Wedding Ring or Needlefish Spoon.
The lake also has a reputation for Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch. The shoreline is thick with brush, you'll find plenty of woody structure to fish around, and later in the summer the weed growth also is a favorite place for Largemouth to reside. Fishing a weightless Senko or pitch a Hula Grub around the shoreside structure.
Roostertail Spinners
One of the most popular trout lures in the Pacific Northwest. Select a 1/16th ounce for ultimate stealth or bump it up to a 1/8 ounce if you want a long distance cast.
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