Hatchery program changes lead to steelhead planted in Rock Lake
WDFW recently released 80,000 juvenile hatchery steelhead into a large Whitman County lake, adding to an already dynamic fishery.
Following changes to steelhead production at the Tokul Creek Hatchery in King County, this week Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff released about 80,000 juvenile steelhead from the hatchery into Rock Lake in Whitman County. The addition of steelhead trout adds to the large inland lake’s diverse, year-round fishing opportunities.
WDFW’s segregated broodstock early winter steelhead hatchery program at the Tokul Creek Hatchery on the Snoqualmie River ended last year to reduce interbreeding between early winter hatchery and wild steelhead. This is an important step toward aligning future hatchery efforts with conservation goals.
WDFW and tribal co-managers are now developing plans for an integrated broodstock winter steelhead hatchery program, which uses wild steelhead as broodstock, to replace the segregated program.
Refer to this October 2024 WDFW news release for more information. Definitions of frequently used fish hatchery management terms are also available on this webpage.
Because the previous hatchery steelhead program is ending, steelhead spawned and reared there in 2024 must be planted elsewhere. WDFW’s goal with these releases is to support other public fishing opportunities while minimizing potential impacts on wild steelhead.
Rock Lake was chosen for the hatchery steelhead release due to the 2,190-acre lake’s lack of connections to anadromous waters — rivers and streams that flow into the ocean — where wild steelhead may be present.
The steelhead release in Rock Lake occurred on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025, during a brief break in the recent wintery weather.
Release of additional steelhead from Tokul Creek Hatchery into Rock Lake or other non-anadromous lakes will continue this spring as needed.
This release of hatchery steelhead reflects WDFW’s commitment to both conservation and maintaining fishing opportunities where possible, even as adjustments to programs are underway. It is similar to earlier releases of hatchery steelhead from Southwest Washington into Banks Lake in Grant County.
Fishing for steelhead in Rock Lake
The juvenile steelhead planted into Rock Lake are small now — with approximately ten fish per pound — but they will grow quickly and should reach catchable size of 10 to 11 inches by late summer 2025.
These fish are managed under statewide trout rules and anglers are not required to have a steelhead Catch Record Card or to record their catch.
While naturally exhibiting anadromous or “sea-run” life histories, steelhead are the same species as rainbow trout and can thrive in large lakes when access to the ocean is not available. They typically feed on the same food sources as resident trout, such as aquatic insects, freshwater amphipods (small shrimp-like crustaceans also known as scuds), and smaller fish species such as sculpins.
These food sources mean that anglers can use standard trout fishing techniques such as trolling, casting flies, or retrieving small spinners and jigs to catch steelhead in lakes. Bait suspended under a bobber or floating off the bottom can also be effective. Check out WDFW’s blog posts and short video for tips on catching rainbow trout and steelhead in lakes.
Winter trout fishing can offer unique challenges during colder weather and water temperatures. This WDFW video offers advice for winter trout fishing.
More information on steelhead conservation, management, and fisheries is available on this webpage.
More information on state fish hatcheries including production plans and escapement reports is available at: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/management/hatcheries.
