Palmer Lake Remains Tricky

Catching big smallmouths has caught on at Palmer Lake. But catch and release has not.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of pressure, but it’s intense enough so the older age classes might start disappearing,” said Ken Williams, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department biologist.

He’s referring to smallmouths that have grown to more than 7 pounds since smallmouth were introduced to the lake in 1982.

“At one time, I thought we’d get the state record out of there, but maybe that won’t happen.”

Palmer is not always an angler-friendly lake. A two-way stream connects the lake to the Similkameen River. When the river is high, it floods muddy water into Palmer Lake. When the river is low, water flows out of the lake and into the river.

“The lake tends to yo-yo, making fishing conditions quite variable,” Williams said.

But some anglers have fished the lake enough to know its secrets, and where the smallmouths hang out.