Lake Stevens Fishing
A 1,003-acre Washington lake in Snohomish County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: jc.winkler, CC BY 2.0
Starting out on Lake Stevens
The Fish Washington layer gives Lake Stevens 1,003 acres; the water lies in Snohomish County. At around 214 feet, the climate on its banks follows the elevation. Lake Stevens, under a mile away, is the closest Census place. Its WDFW management emphasis: mixed-species water managed with a trout emphasis. Its county sits in WDFW Region 4.
There are 1 launch in the access layers; 1 are public. For fishing without a boat there are 3 shore fishing sites. The 2026-27 pamphlet lists 6 Special Rules here. The lake layer calls bank access 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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Species WDFW ties to Lake Stevens, from its lake layer, records and plants:
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Putting a boat on Lake Stevens
- North Cove boat launch on Lake Stevens1 ramp, concrete surface, City of Lake Stevens
Bank access on Lake Stevens
- Lake Stevens fishing piershore fishing site, Public pier provides great summer fishing for perch
- Lake Stevens fishing piershore fishing site, Public dock
- Lake Stevens fishing pier, Snohomish Countyshore fishing site, Public dock
Fallback launches for Lake Stevens
- Lake Cassidy boat launchCassidy Lake, 3 miles north
- Panther Lake boat launch (east)Panther Lake, 5 miles southeast
- Bosworth Lake boat launchBosworth Lake, 6 miles northeast
- Flowing Lake boat launchFlowing Lake, 6 miles southeast
- Storm Lake boat launchStorm Lake, 7 miles southeast
- Lake Roesiger boat launchLake Roesiger, 8 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.
Fish an angler can bag at Lake Stevens
| 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 |
Statewide rows govern Lake Stevens unless the Special Rules band changes them.
Special rules printed for Lake Stevens
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Stevens | All species | Chumming permitted. |
| Lake Stevens | Smallmouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 15. Only 1 over 14" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Lake Stevens | Largemouth bass | No min. size. Daily limit 10. Max. size 12", except 1 over 17" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Lake Stevens | Channel catfish | No min. size. Daily limit 10. (Year-round) |
| Lake Stevens | Walleye | No min. size. Daily limit 16. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. (Year-round) |
| Lake Stevens | Other game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 89 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.
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.
Who runs weigh-ins on Lake Stevens
Organizer dates, launches and printed results for Lake Stevens are kept on one page.
Nearby lakes set beside Lake Stevens
Anyone wanting more room can drive to Flowing Lake, 131 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Stevens | 1,003 | 214 ft | 1 | 0 | |
| Cassidy Lake | 3 miles north | 123 | 323 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Blackmans Lake | 5 miles south | 61 | 144 ft | 1 | 4 |
| Panther Lake (Snohomish County) | 5 miles southeast | 45 | 459 ft | 1 | 1 |
| Flowing Lake | 6 miles southeast | 131 | 529 ft | 1 | 2 |
| Bosworth Lake | 6 miles northeast | 102 | 562 ft | 1 | 3 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Near Lake Stevens
Neighbouring lakes to Lake Stevens
- Cassidy Lake3 miles north
- Blackmans Lake5 miles south
- Panther Lake (Snohomish County)5 miles southeast
- Flowing Lake6 miles southeast
- Bosworth Lake6 miles northeast
Gear stores used by Lake Stevens anglers
- Cabela's Tulalipsporting goods store, Tulalip, 7 miles
- Sportsman's Warehouse Everettsporting goods store, Everett, 9 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Marysvillesporting goods store, Marysville, 12 miles
- Dick's Sporting Goods Seattlesporting goods store, Seattle, 23 miles
- B & D Fly Ting-Supplies-Tacklebait and tackle shop, Arlington
- Kinematics Marine Equipment, Inc.bait and tackle shop, Arlington
Guide services listed near Lake Stevens
- A Possession Point Fishing Charterscharter, Arlington, (360) 652-3797
- Allstar Fishing Charterscharter, Everett, (425) 252-4188
- Big King Salmon Charterscharter, Mountlake Terrace, (425) 776-7688
- Sound Fly Fishingcharter, Edmonds, (206) 940-3020
- Team McMullen Tournament Fishing & Guide Servicecharter, Marysville, (425) 754-9401
Lodging towns for anglers working Lake Stevens
- Lake Stevensunder a mile
- Machias2 miles
- Cavalero2 miles
Lake Stevens county by county
- Snohomish Countyseat: Everett
Piscifun reels and line rigged for Lake Stevens
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The shoreline country around Lake Stevens, in pictures

Photo: Adam Barhan, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Cindy Shebley, CC BY 2.0

Photo: SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 2.0

Photo: Martin Bravenboer, CC BY 2.0
Before you drive to Lake Stevens: common questions
Where in Washington is Lake Stevens?
The WDFW point falls in Snohomish County, under a mile from Lake Stevens.
What size does the Fish Washington layer give Lake Stevens?
Near 1,003 acres.
Which listed ramp suits a first trip to Lake Stevens?
Use North Cove boat launch on Lake Stevens, one of 1 launch.
Which gamefish are on record at Lake Stevens?
WDFW names rainbow trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, brown bullhead, yellow perch and black crappie.
Does WDFW print Special Rules of its own for Lake Stevens?
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). A 2026-27 Special Rule overrides part of that.
Do I need a Washington license to fish Lake Stevens?
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.
Were trout planted in Lake Stevens in 2026?
WDFW shows no 2026 plants for it through October 27.
Who sells worms and PowerBait near Lake Stevens?
Stop at Cabela's Tulalip, about 7 miles away.
Plan a Cascades-to-coast trip around Lake Stevens
Check the daily limit before a fish goes on the stringer.

