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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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‘Jumbo’ trout are big attraction in Eastern Washington lakes

Catchable-size rainbow trout flow into an Eastern Washington lake out of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery truck.  (Colin Mulvany)
Catchable-size rainbow trout flow into an Eastern Washington lake out of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife hatchery truck. (Colin Mulvany)

FISHING -- Two stories in the Thursday Outdoors special 2015 fishing coverage had errors regarding the term "jumbo" trout stocked into some Eastern Washington lakes. 

These jumbo fish are meant to be "big" attractions to anglers headed out for the lowland lake trout season that opens Saturday, April 25.

Here's the definition of jumbo trout from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website:

Jumbo Trout
In 2015, the Department will stock hundreds of lakes throughout the state with 144,700 jumbo trout averaging greater than 14 inches in length and 1 pound or larger in weight.  Included in this Jumbo stocking  will be 52,000 triploid trout that average 1½ pounds each. The triploid trout are purchased by the Department from private growers. About 42,000 of these trout will be stocked in April and May and an additional 10,000 will be stocked in June for a statewide Father's Day fishing promotion.

Click here to keep track of when Jumbo Trout are stocked in real-time.

Jumbo trout are especially effective in jumpstarting lakes such as McDowell, which was was rehabilitated last year and had a clean slate to start this year's fishery.  Fry also are being stocked as a lower-cost fishery that will grow naturally in the lake and put smiles on anglers' faces next year.



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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