Washington state’s Department of Fish and Game is offering its own version of retail therapy this Black Friday: skip the mall and go fishing instead.
WDFW stocked seven small lakes with trout and says it’s “offering anglers opportunities for tight lines rather than long lines on the day after Thanksgiving.”
Inland Fish Program Manager Steve Thiesfeld said the pitch works.
“Let’s just say, I won’t be in the mall,” he said with a laugh.
Thiesfeld admitted he’ll be hunting for deer and elk after Thanksgiving this year, but if that weren’t his plan, he’d be fishing.
“This isn’t our prime time for fishing for trout,” Thiesfeld said. "The Saturday opening day in April is our really big push for the trout season, but there are folks that aren’t hunters, that aren’t into salmon and steelhead and they still want an opportunity to fish.”
Thiesfeld said they do see a small bump in fishing license sales this time of year. But he can’t tell for sure if it’s because people really love to fish, or just don’t like to shop.
Some of the lakes scheduled to receive fish before Black Friday include:
- Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond in Clark County
- Kress Lake in Cowlitz County
- Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond in Lewis County
- American and Tanwax lakes in Pierce County
- Rowland Lake in Klickitat County
- Black, Long, and Offutt lakes in Thurston County
- Elton Pond North in Yakima County