One of the more intriguing opportunities for anglers on Whidbey Island during today’s lowland lakes fishing opener are the jumbo trout recently planted in Deer Lake in Clinton.

Hatchery crews with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife placed 608 jumbo rainbow trout into Deer Lake last week, which is triple the number the lake has received in recent years.

The jumbos are rainbow trout averaging more than 14 inches in length and 1 pound or larger in weight. Those that average 1.5 pounds apiece are generally referred to as triploids.

“We’re calling them jumbos,” said Justin Spinelli, regional fish biologist for the state. “They will be over a pound apiece, nearing a pound and a half.”

The jumbos are bonus attractions on a day that traditionally draws hundreds of thousands of anglers to lakes around Washington to fish for trout.

Even lakes that are open year-round still generally see a rise in anglers this weekend.

Deer Lake is a seasonal lake that opened today. It also recently received a planting of 8,073 catchable-sized trout that average about 11 inches in length, far more than any other lake on Whidbey.

Other popular trout fishing options in South Whidbey are Goss Lake, a seasonal lake, and Lone Lake, which is open year-round but has special rules regarding gear, daily limits (one fish per day,  minimum of 18 inches) and boat motors.

Each of those lakes received plantings of more than 4,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout earlier this month.

Many anglers on North Whidbey find several lakes on Fidalgo Island as the best nearby options for trout.

Lake Erie and Heart Lake are seasonal lakes that also received several hundred jumbo trout from the state this month.

Those who prefer to stay on the island frequent Cranberry Lake inside Deception Pass State Park.

That lake received a fall planting of 28,500 rainbows with some “carry-overs” expected to be still around and larger this spring.

Most lakes allow five trout per day to be caught with no minimum size. Rules pertaining to each lake are listed in the WDFW’s sport fishing rules pamphlet found in stores or online at www.wdfw.wa.gov

Want to catch a trout this weekend?

Kevin Petersen, a local fishing expert from Oak Harbor’s Ace Hardware, said recently planted trout are “voracious feeders that will bite at everything.”

Still, to increase your chances, he suggests using brightly colored Berkley Power Bait such as sherbert.

If you’re in a boat, troll slowly and try a Worden’s Flat Fish in colors such as “Fire Tiger” or “Glitter Watermelon.”