Where to wet a line

Here is a look at some of the more popular spots in North King and South Snohomish counties worth checking out on or after opening day.

• Ballinger Lake: Located on the county line between Snohomish and King counties, just west of I-5. Year-round open season. Rainbow trout are stocked, and largemouth bass, yellow perch, black crappie and brown bullhead catfish add variety to the fishery. Public access is through the city park in the northeast corner. A boat ramp, parking, toilets and a fishing pier are available.

• Bitter Lake: In north Seattle off Highway SR-99 at 130th. Year-round open season. Primary species are pumpkinseed sunfish, largemouth bass and brown bullhead catfish. Rainbow trout will be stocked this year, but are not available every year. A city park on the east end offers shore fishing, but no developed boat ramp. Car toppers may be launched from the north and east sides.

• Echo Lake Park: Located six miles north of Seattle off Highway 99, Echo has access for car-toppers and some shore fishing through a small city park on the northeast corner of the lake. Echo’s main attraction is rainbow trout, with yellow perch also present. Toilets and some picnic tables are available in the park, but parking is at a premium in the spring.

• Haller Lake: Located in North Seattle at Meridian Avenue North and 125th North. Year-round open season. The lake offers primarily largemouth bass and yellow perch. Catchable-size rainbow trout will be stocked this year, but may not be available every year. Haller is accessed via a small clearing to a limited shore fishing area; there is no boat launch, but car-toppers and inflatables can be carried from Meridian on the north shore and North 125th Avenue at the west end of the lake.

• Martha Lake (Alderwood Manor): Two miles northeast of Alderwood Manor. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season. Stocked rainbow trout are the main draw; cormorant predation can affect the fishing. Largemouth bass, yellow perch, and bullhead catfish are available as well. The WDFW access on the southeast corner has a boat ramp, parking and toilet. A county park on the lake’s south end also has parking and toilets, plus play and picnic areas and two large fishing piers. Disabled accessibility at county park.

• Scriber Lake: This small, mixed-species lake is located in Scriber Lake Park in Lynnwood. A small fishing pier provides access to very limited fishing for largemouth bass and yellow perch. The lake is open year-round.

• Serene Lake: Located just west of Highway SR-99 at Shelby Road in Lynnwood. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season. Largemouth bass and stocked rainbow trout provide the fishing action. Serene has public access with gravel parking area, toilet and concrete boat ramp at the west end of the lake. Gasoline-powered motors are prohibited.

• Silver Lake: This Silver Lake (there are more than a dozen in the state) is located 5.5 miles south of Everett along the Bothell-Everett Highway. Open season is year-round. Stocked rainbow trout and kokanee co-exist with largemouth bass and yellow perch. A small number of larger triploid rainbows will provide additional fishing opportunity this year. An annual “Fishing Kids” event scheduled for May 12 this year is designed to introduce young anglers age 5 through 14 to sport fishing. Contact Everett Parks at 425-257-8300 for more information. There is no developed boat access area, but car-topper access is feasible for a limited number of vehicles along the southeast corner of the lake. There is ample shoreline access and a fishing dock along the highway. Access and rest rooms are also available in a city park on the west shore.

• Stickney Lake : About four miles northeast of Lynnwood, between I-5 and Highway SR-99. Last Saturday in April through October 31 open season. Largemouth bass, yellow perch, and black crappie are present, and catchable-size rainbow trout are stocked. The concrete WDFW boat launch on the north shore has parking and a toilet.

• Snohomish County shore fishing: There is an expanding recreational fishery along Snohomish County shorelines casting for pink salmon (odd years), Coho salmon, and steelhead. Popular areas include (but are not limited to) Mukilteo and Kayak Point.

• Shellfish and Marine Fish: Recreational shrimp areas are found near Edmonds, and in Possession Sound and Port Susan. Squid fishing is fair-to-good at any of the lighted docks and piers during late fall and winter. Good crabbing opportunities are available adjacent to most marine shorelines. Marine fishing and crabbing are available at Edmonds fishing pier, Everett marine pier, Kayak Point State Park pier, and Mukilteo pier. Stewart’s Dock in Everett and docks along the Swinomish Channel in La Connor are main sites for smelt fishing. Consult the department’s Web site at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fish/shelfish/crabreg or the toll-free WDFW shellfish hotline at 1-866-880-5431 for specific crab season information. Call the Department of Health’s toll-free Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 to check shellfish safety.