Lake Crescent Fishing
A 5,024-acre Washington lake in Clallam County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Lake Crescent at a glance
Spread over 5,024 acres, Lake Crescent is a lake of Clallam County on the WDFW map. The WDFW elevation field reads 584 feet. The nearest town is Port Angeles, some 18 miles off. The lake layer classes it as trout-emphasis water. WDFW plants for its county are listed under WDFW Region 6.
The access layers record no ramp here. Shoreline access on the WDFW record: good.
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov (surface acres, elevation, management emphasis, shoreline access, species), USGS NHD outlines, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 31, 2026.
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What the WDFW lake data says swims in Lake Crescent:
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Trailer access to the water at Lake Crescent
The access layers show no ramp on Lake Crescent; city, tribal or private launches may exist.
More WDFW and park launches around Lake Crescent
- Lake Sutherland boat launchLake Sutherland, 6 miles east
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. A Discover Pass is needed to park at WDFW access sites and State Parks launches.
Size and daily limits on Lake Crescent
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only largemouth bass less than 12" may be retained, except 1 over 17" may be retained. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Smallmouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only 1 smallmouth bass over 14" may be retained. Daily limit 10. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Walleye | Min. size 12" in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 8. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. May be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until daily limit is in possession. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Channel Catfish | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Burbot (Freshwater Ling) | No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Crappie, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Perch, Suckers, Sunfish, | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Grass Carp | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
| Kokanee | No min. size. Daily limit 10. When fishing with bait, all kokanee that are lawful to possess and are equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) | Min. size 50". Daily limit 1. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Whitefish | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Steelhead | Release all wild steelhead. Min. size 20". Daily limit 2. Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed. | Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout | In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23) |
| Trout (combined rivers and lakes same day) | The combined daily limit for an angler that fishes in both rivers and lakes on the same day is 5 trout, no more than 2 may be from rivers. | see the pamphlet |
| Lake Trout | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Eastern Brook Trout (EBT) | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Dolly Varden/Bull Trout | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
On Lake Crescent the statewide freshwater rows hold unless a Special Rule below says otherwise.
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
Record catches WDFW credits to Lake Crescent
| Species | Weight | Angler | Water as printed | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Trout, Beardslee | 16.31 lbs | Richard L. Bates | Lake Crescent, Clallam County | Sept. 7, 1989 |
| Cutthroat Trout, Coastal, resident | 12.00 lbs | W. Welsh | Lake Crescent, Clallam County | July 1, 1961 |
WDFW sport fish records (freshwater and saltwater record lists, kept by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)) as listed October 31, 2026. All Washington records.
How Lake Crescent compares in its part of Washington
By WDFW acreage, Dickey Lake tops the table with 515.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Crescent | 5,024 | 584 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Lake Sutherland | 5 miles east | 351 | 528 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Beaver Lake (Clallam County) | 20 miles west | 36 | 555 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Lake Pleasant | 23 miles west | 493 | 397 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Yahoo Lake | 28 miles south | 9.3 | 2,349 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Dickey Lake | 32 miles west | 515 | 197 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Next to Lake Crescent
Lakes a brief detour from Lake Crescent
- Lake Sutherland5 miles east
- Beaver Lake (Clallam County)20 miles west
- Lake Pleasant23 miles west
- Yahoo Lake28 miles south
- Dickey Lake32 miles west
Tackle counters within a quick drive of Lake Crescent
- Main Ax Custom Fishing Rodsbait and tackle shop, Clallam Bay
- Armstrong Marine, Inc.marina, Port Angeles
- Jerry's Bait & Tackle Shopbait and tackle shop, Port Angeles
- Platypus Marine Incmarina, Port Angeles
- Waters West Fly Fishingfly shop, Port Angeles
- John Wayne Marinamarina, Sequim
Who runs guided trips on Lake Crescent
- All Ways Fishingcharter, Forks, (360) 374-2052
- Anadromy Fly Fishingcharter, Forks, (360) 460-3500
- Angler's Obsessioncharter, Forks, (360) 485-3181
- Excel Fishing Charterscharter, Sekiu, (360) 374-2225
- Caleb Hitzfeld Fly Fishingfly fishing guide, Forks, (360) 640-8513
Washington towns with beds close by Lake Crescent
- Port Angeles18 miles
- Port Angeles East22 miles
- Forks27 miles
The counties around Lake Crescent
- Clallam Countyseat: Port Angeles
A Piscifun spinning setup worth packing for Lake Crescent
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
A photo key to fish at Lake Crescent
Photo: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Pengo, CC BY-SA 2.5
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain
Quick replies about fishing Lake Crescent
How do I find Lake Crescent on a county map?
Search Clallam County on the map, about 18 miles from Port Angeles.
Is Lake Crescent a large lake for Washington?
Some 5,024 acres by WDFW.
Can a trailered boat get onto Lake Crescent from a listed launch?
The WDFW and State Parks layers list none on it; nearby ramps appear in the access band.
Which fish do WDFW sources tie to Lake Crescent?
coastal, resident cutthroat trout and beardslee rainbow trout, by the WDFW layers and plants.
How many trout go home from Lake Crescent under the 2026-27 pamphlet?
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout: In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5.; Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23).
What does a WDFW freshwater license cost for a day at Lake Crescent?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
When did WDFW last plant trout in Lake Crescent?
No hatchery rows name it this year.
Where do Lake Crescent regulars stock up?
Main Ax Custom Fishing Rods in the same county tops our shop list here.
Which WDFW state record fish was landed at Lake Crescent?
Rainbow Trout, Beardslee, 16.31 lbs, by Richard L. Bates (Sept. 7, 1989).
Make the drive out to Lake Crescent
License prices, seasons and Special Rules are gathered on one page.