New to the Kitsap area

[navycracker]

Hey there fellow fisher-buddies. I am in the military and have the privilege[size 1] [/size]of serving the next few years up here in the Great Pacific North West. I am originally from Colorado and grew up fishing there and absolutely love going whenever I can. My problem is I don't know where to go around here for some quality trout fishing and I would love to do some steelhead and salmon fishing also. Just looking for some tips, some guides and any other information on what to do and where to go. As you all know, this weekend is a three day weekend and one of my buddies and I were looking to do some trout fishing around the Kitsap area. If you guys have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advance for all the help and hopefully we can hook up sometime to do some fishin'![]

Scott Fiske
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[davetclown]

[font "Arial"]Hope this gets to you in time.[/font]
[font "Arial"]good luck, if you get time let us know how you faired.[/font]
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[font "Arial"]Buck Lake (20 acres): Located 1-1/2 miles southwest of Hansville. State access with one toilet, limited parking. Buck Lake should provide fair fishing for 10- to 12-inch rainbows. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31.[/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Horseshoe Lake (40 acres): Nine miles south of Port Orchard. There is a state access with two toilets. Expect fair fishing for seven- to nine-inch rainbow trout. Adult coho salmon may be planted if excess hatchery returns are available. Landlocked salmon rules apply: a catch record card is not required, and all salmon count as part of the trout daily limit. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Island Lake (43 acres): Two miles southwest of Keyport. Expect fair fishing for eight- to 10-inch rainbow trout. Year-round open season. Watch for the juveniles-only fishing pond.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Kitsap Lake (240 acres): Located just outside Bremerton. A state access with boat launch and two toilets is available. A county park just east of the state access area has a public dock and restroom facilities. Kitsap offers good fishing for rainbow and cutthroat trout, plus largemouth bass and other warmwater species. This lake is also scheduled for a bonus plant of large triploid rainbow trout this year. These sterile fish can grow to trophy size if not harvested. Open to fishing year-round.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Mission Lake (88 acres): Nine miles west of Bremerton. A state access with two toilets is available. Fishing should be fair-to-good for eight- to 10-inch rainbow trout. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Panther Lake (104 acres): Panther is about 10 miles west of Bremerton, straddling the Kitsap/Mason county line, with 74 acres in Kitsap County. There is a small public boat launch. Panther should provide fair fishing for rainbows under a foot long. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Poulsbo: There are a few small spots for raking surf smelt at the southern edge of Liberty Bay. The shoreline is mostly private and parking is poor. Best raking opportunities occur October through February.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Ross Point: This WDFW-owned beach on the southern shore of Sinclair Inlet, one mile west of Port Orchard, offers some surf smelt raking opportunities. Parking is limited and there are no facilities. The best raking occurs October through February, although some smelt spawning occurs here year-round.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Tiger Lake (110 acres): Tiger Lake is located in both Kitsap and Mason Counties, with only about six acres in Kitsap. See Mason County for prospects.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Wildcat Lake (112 acres): Six miles northwest of Bremerton. Good fishing for eight- to 10-inch rainbow trout, with cutthroat trout, largemouth bass and brown bullheads also available. Open season runs from the last Saturday in April through October 31.[/size][/font]
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[font "Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"][size 2]Wye Lake (38 acres): Located 3-1/2 miles southeast of Belfair. State access with one toilet. Wye is fair for rainbows around a foot long, with smaller trout also available. Largemouth bass fishing is good as the water warms up. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season.[/size][/font]
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[navycracker]

[mad]Went to Kitsap Lake and Island Lake and got skunked at both. Not even a nibble.

Oh well. Hey, I'm trying to take a trip up to the Olympic Peninsula probably in April. I was wondering if this is a good time to go for some steelhead and spring chinook, and if anybody knows of a good guide service. All advise would be appreciated!!

Thanks...
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[kevinkay]

The best time to hit the Peninsula area for big steelhead is right now through the end of February. The current edition of the Hunting and Fishing News should have information on guides, etc... Good Luck!
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[davetclown]

sory about tacking so long to respond, my computer system is fryd
I am off line and still am. I am hoping to be back on line by the middle of next week. I will see what I can find for you.
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[salmonegg]

Welcome aboard .. We are neighbors. I live between Poulsbo and Kingston. Closer to Kingston and Puget Sound where I do most of my fishing. PW
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