Myrtle (King County)

Upon arrival at the busy Dingford Creek trail head one might be turned off at the sight of all of the cars. Not to worry there is plenty of room to roam in the hills above and solitude awaits those who make the effort to reach Myrtle Lake.

Within a mile of leaving the vehicles behind you'll find one of the best stands of old growth timber left in the Middle Fork valley, a truly magical stand of trees. The junction to Hester Lake is reached at 3.5 miles continue onward another 2.5 miles to reach Myrtle. The lake provides good fishing for Rainbow Trout and Coastal Cutthroat trout. There are campsites available.

Getting here:

From Seattle drive I-90 east to exit 34. Go left and follow 1 mile past the truck stop to the Middle Fork Rd. Go right. From Seattle, drive east on I-90 to exit 34 (Forest Road 56). Continue up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Road for 12.5 miles to the bridge over the Taylor River and the junction with Taylor River Road. Stay to the right around a hairpin turn onto 5620 and follow for 5 mile to the trail head.

Species you might catch

Lake information

County: King
Acreage: 14.40 ac.
Elevation: 3781 ft.
TRS: T24R11E SEC22
Center: 47.549148, -121.38338
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Fishing resources

Fish stocking info
Release Location: MYRTLE LK (KING)
Stock Date Species Number Released Number of Fish Per Pound Facility
Jun 11, 2023 Cutthroat 130 671 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Aug 14, 2021 Cutthroat 200 255 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Sep 4, 2006 Rainbow 200 348 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Aug 17, 1996 Rainbow 360 379 TOKUL CR HATCHERY
Visit the Catchable Trout Plants page for a more detailed search of trout plants in other bodies of water. To view and download the source data for this table visit the WDFW Fish Plants dataset on data.wa.gov.

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.
Chart showing fishing prospects throughout the calendar year

Photos
Myrtle
Photo by WDFW