Trip to Bellvue, WA

I will be making a trip late January to Bellvue, WA. I would like to do a little fishing and catch a species we don't have down south while I am there.

Any recommendations or tips on where to start would be great!

Ironically, I just posted about wanting to go catch white sturgeon.

There's not much saltwater fishing going on up there at this time of year. If you head to Port Angeles, you can probably find a charter (assuming the weather is decent) who can take you out for black rockfish & lingcod (though lingcod may be closed season catch & release only). The Washington bay system was badly overfished by bottom trawlers years back and it's taking a long time to recover.

What about local freshwater?

http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/fishing_trout-fishing_wo_0407_01/

I think I would try to do some downrigging for big cutthroat trout on Lake Washington at this time of year. That would absolutely be something new & different from Texas.

Go to Kent and talk to Jeff Boyer in his tackle shop. Washington has some HUGE Smallmouth Bass that can be suckers for a dropshot. Drive south to Silver Lake (by Mt St Helens) and fish the pads for some big Largemouths. Then there are the steelhead, but I don't know what the seasons are like these days.

Go to Kent and talk to Jeff Boyer in his tackle shop for ideas. Washington has some HUGE Smallmouth Bass that can be suckers for a dropshot. Drive south to Silver Lake (by Mt St Helens) and fish the pads for some big Largemouths. Then there are the steelhead, but I don't know what the seasons are like these days.

January in Castle Rock is not the same as January in Texas. There's likely to be ice on Silver Lake.

Up around Bellvue there's not much Smallmouth fishing. Need to hit the east side or the Columbia for that.

January could be good for Steelhead if the rivers aren't blown out. Guided trip on the Cowlitz or over on the Peninsula could be good.