Heather Lake (Snohomish County)

This is a very scenic, lower elevation high lake that sits at the base of Mt. Pilchuck. Heather is one of the most popular hikes on the Mountain Loop Highway, but most people visiting the lake do not fish. You can walk around the entire lake via a boardwalk and/or trail. The lake can be fished from shore, but due to extensive shallows around the lake, it is best fished from flotation. Most fish are in 10 inch range, but there is always hope of catching something larger.

Getting here:

The Heather Lake trailhead is located on Forest Road 42 off the Mountain Loop Highway, east of Granite Falls. Round trip, the hike is about 4.6 miles with 1100â€™ elevation gain. The first half of the hike is in a dark second growth forest, but the second half is in a much more scenic old-growth forest.

Species you might catch

Rainbow trout

Lake information

County: Snohomish
Acreage: 13.90 ac.
Elevation: 2399 ft.
TRS: T30R08E SEC21
Center: 48.068413, -121.782117
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Fishing resources

Fish stocking info

Release Location: HEATHER LK (SNOH)
Stock Date	Species	Number Released	Number of Fish Per Pound	Facility
Aug 5, 2006	Rainbow	500	500	ARLINGTON HATCHERY

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