Glacier Lake (King County)

This is a great day hike or a place to spend the night out underneath the stars with plenty of fishing opportunities and a pleasant walk through some of the finest old growth timber in the Skykomish River watershed. The Hike to Surprise Lake and Glacier Lake starts on trail #1060 just east of the old railroad settlement of Scenic at 2200 feet in elevation. The trail quickly looses the old road it starts on and follows Surprise Creek for nearly 5 miles until it reaches Surprise lake at 4509 feet.

Just 300 vertical feet and .5 miles - via trail - above beautiful Surprise Lake one will find an equally special fishing opportunity at Glacier Lake. Surrounded by large granite boulders the outstanding fishing for Eastern Brook Trout it is worth the extra bit of work. There are numerous campsites available around this large lake and plenty of room for on-shore anglers to get their lines wet.

Getting here:

Trail #1060 - Drive US 2 10 miles east of Skykomish, turning right just past the old railroad community of Scenic. Cross the railroad tracks and turn right, following a narrow and bumpy dirt road 0.3 mile to the trailhead.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: King
Acreage: 50.20 ac.
Elevation: 4810 ft.
TRS: T25R13E SEC16
Center: 47.657111, -121.144188
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Fishing resources

Fishing prospects calendar

Rainbow trout

Fishing success for Rainbow Trout is generally best in the spring when thousands of fish are stocked statewide, but they can be caught year-round in most waters with a little patience and persistence. Success remains high into June and gradually declines as water temperatures increase and fish move offshore to stay cool. Fish that escaped the spring harvest return to the nearshore areas in the fall as waters cool off. Some waters may also be stocked again in the fall further boosting catch rates.

Photos

Photo by WDFW