24 • 2012 Fish Southwest Washington • The Chronicle, Centralia/Chehalis Wash.
and a rough boat launch is suitable for small trailers and hand-carried craft. Internal combustion (gasoline) engines are prohibited. Open season runs from the fourth Saturday in April through February 28.
Davis Lake: Located on the north side of Highway US-12, about 2.5 miles east of Morton, this 18-acre lake is scheduled to be stocked with 1,250 catchable-size rainbow trout by opening day. Bass and other warmwater fish can also be found here. The lake is open to fishing from the fourth Saturday in April through Feb. 28.
Fort Borst Park Pond: This 5-acre pond in Centralia’s Fort Borst Park is open only to juveniles (under 15 years of age). It is generously stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout, along with some larger triploid rainbows to make things more exciting for kids and parents. About 3,000 rainbows were stocked this January, before the lake closed on February 28. Another 4,000 catchable-size rainbows will be stocked before the April opener, then 3,000 more in early May to keep the action going through spring and into summer. The pond is scheduled to get 372 triploid rainbows before the opener. A few warmwater fish are also present. The Centralia Lions Club has an annual fishing derby on opening day, with prizes, hot dogs, and lots of help for the young anglers. Open season is from the fourth Saturday in April through Feb. 28.
Hayes Lake: This is the northernmost of the two ponds visible on the east side of I-5 driving through Centralia. Sometimes called Skookumchuck Lake or Slough, it is across the freeway from Fort Borst Park, and is connected by a channel to the Skookumchuck River. Size is about the same as Plummer Lake. Shore-fishing access is limited, but small handcarried boats can be launched at a city park at the south end of Bridge Street (just past the Goodwill store). This pond is not stocked with trout, but has some largemouth bass and other warmwater gamefish. Most of the pond gets quite weedy by late summer, so spring and early summer is the best time to fish. Since it is not listed in the Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet, it is open to fishing year-round.
Mayfield Lake: At over 2,200 acres when full (it’s never drawn down very far), this Cowlitz River impoundment west of Mossyrock offers angling variety. There are several ways to get to the lake, all off of U.S. Highway 12. One of the main draws is tiger muskies, which are a sterile cross between northern pike and muskellunge. Mayfield was the first lake in Washington to receive these toothy hybrids, and holds the current state record of 31.25 pounds, caught
in 2001. Because their numbers are limited and they serve a biological purpose by eating lots of northern pikeminnows, most anglers carefully photograph and weigh these trophies, then release them. Minimum size to keep tiger muskies is 50 inches. Most musky fishing takes place in the warmer months. Rainbow trout are also a prime attraction, with 52,000 trout at two per pound (10 - 12 inches each) promised by Tacoma Power for 2012. Trout stocking will occur