Forget wasting your time in lines and fighting crowds on Black Friday, head out and enjoy some easy trout fishing before the lakes freeze over.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is giving us fishermen an early gift with thousands of rainbow trout destined for Washington lakes before November. Everywhere from Yakima County to Columbia County is having lakes stocked, fishing should be great this fall and through the holiday season.

"Fall can be one of the best times of the year to reel in a nice-sized trout, and fishing should be terrific over the next few months," said Steve Thiesfeld, WDFW's inland fish program manager. "Most of the stocked trout are 13 to 15 inches long, with a few larger ones in the mix."

The complete list of lakes to be stocked, and the department's recently updated stocking plan, are available for viewing at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/fall-into-fishing/

The fall fish plants are in response to anglers' requests to increase fall and winter trout fishing opportunities, said Thiesfeld.

The effort also includes stocking lakes across the state for the Nov. 24 Black Friday opener, which offers anglers the opportunity to skip the shopping malls, get outside and enjoy fishing on the day after Thanksgiving.

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