Black Friday Trout Releases, Free Fishing Days On Tap In WA, OR
Fresh fall stockers. Free fishing.
Both are on tap next week as WDFW and ODFW provide anglers late-season opportunities to get outdoors and on the water.
Below are press releases from both agencies outlining Washington’s Black Friday releases and Oregon’s post-Thanksgiving Free Fishing days.
Get outside on Black Friday with statewide trout fishing opportunities
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is stocking nearly 65,000 jumbo rainbow trout in 25 lakes statewide ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, offering anglers a chance to get outside for Washington’s annual Black Friday fishing. These holiday special rainbow trout weigh up to three pounds and measure up to 17 inches each.
“WDFW has offered Black Friday fishing for more than a decade, and it’s a great way to get outdoors over the holiday weekend,” said Steve Caromile, WDFW inland fish program manager. “We stock jumbo trout in lakes near communities, making it easy to spend a few hours on the water with friends and family.”
This year, the lakes and ponds that will be stocked before Nov. 28 include:
- Adams and Lincoln counties – Fourth of July Lake
- Chelan County – Roses Lake
- Clark County – Battle Ground Lake and Klineline Pond
- Cowlitz County – Kress Lake
- Island County – Cranberry Lake
- King County – Lake Alice, Beaver Lake, Green Lake
- Klickitat County – Rowland Lake
- Lewis County – Fort Borst Park Pond and South Lewis County Park Pond
- Pacific County – Cases Pond
- Pierce County – American Lake and Tanwax Lake
- Snohomish County – Ballinger Lake, Blackmans Lake, Gissburg Ponds, Silver Lake, and Lake Tye
- Spokane County – Hog Canyon Lake
- Stevens County – Hatch Lake, Williams Lake
- Thurston County – Black Lake, Long Lake, and Offutt Lake
- Yakima County – I-82 Pond #4
In total, WDFW is stocking nearly 230,000 trout in 67 lakes statewide this fall, including jumbo trout. For up-to-date stocking information, anglers can refer to the catchable trout stocking report on the WDFW website. Visit WDFW’s lowland lakes page for more information on these and hundreds of other lakes throughout the state.
Anglers 16 years and older must have a current Washington freshwater fishing license, valid through March 31, 2026, to participate. Licenses can be purchased online, or at any of the hundreds of license vendors across the state.
Though uncommon in November, cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) can still be present in lakes. Before heading out, make sure to check your county health department for water quality advisories. Learn more about advisories at doh.wa.gov/fish.
Free fishing days Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving
SALEM, Ore.- Get outdoors with friends and family and enjoy free fishing, crabbing and clamming on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29. Statewide free fishing days are a great chance to take someone new fishing and celebrate Oregon’s natural resources.
No fishing or shellfish licenses or tags (Including the Combined Angling Tag, Columbia River Basin Endorsement or Two-Rod Validation) are required those two days. All other fishing regulations apply including closures, bag limits and size restrictions. Both Oregon residents and non-residents can fish for free.
It is a perfect excuse to spend time at a favorite river or beach. ODFW will stock trout in several popular lakes in the Willamette Valley in anticipation of the event, which draws both experienced fishers and those learning the sport. Check the Weekly Recreation Report features the best bets for fishing, crabbing and clamming, including water levels, fishing hot spots and alerts.
See the Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for rules and remember to check for any in-season regulation updatestoo, especially for salmon and steelhead fishing. Click on the Zone where you want to fish to see regulations updates.
For beginners, Easy Angling Oregon is a great guide to getting started fishing in Oregon. Click on Easy angling articlefor suggestions and recommendations. And if you live near Portland, Bend, Medford, Roseburg or in Lane County, there are lots of nearby options.
Prefer to crab or clam instead? My ODFW.com has all the information you need to get started clamming or crabbing. Remember to check ocean conditions and take safety precautions—always clam with a friend and never turn your back on the ocean.
Call the ODA Shellfish safety hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or check their Shellfish closures page before you go clamming or crabbing. The Oregon Department of Agriculture regularly tests shellfish and closes areas when naturally occurring biotoxins get to levels that make crabs and clams unsafe to eat.
Recreational crabbing is open in bays, beaches, estuaries, tide pools, piers and jetties. Recreational ocean crabbing is closed every year coastwide from Oct. 16- Nov. 30.
As of mid-November, razor clamming is open from the WA border to Cape Blanco and closed from Cape Blanco to the CA border. Bay clams and mussels are open from the WA border to the CA border. Closures may change by Thanksgiving Weekend so check before you go.
CORRECTION, 11:22 a.m., November 21, 2025: The second to last paragraph in the ODFW press release has been updated to state that recreational crabbing in the ocean is closed coastwide, not just from Cape Blanco to the Washington border, as the news release originally stated.
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