A snapshot of opening day fishing

The opening day of Washington's lowland trout fishing season is a timeless tradition for many Inland Northwest families. The fishing action and camaraderie that lures anglers to area lakes on the fourth Saturday in April is the common denominator year after year. Outdoors editor Rich Landers has been covering opening day for more than 35 years. His photos from a recent season opener at Spokane area lakes captures the essence of the day.

Section:Gallery

Mon., April 21, 2014

David Primm of Spokane catches one of the first big trout off the Williams Lake dock Saturday morning shortly after Washington’s lowland lake fishing season opened.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
By lantern light, Ed Rehfeld helps remove the hook from a 4-pound trout his fishing partner David Primm of Spokane caught off the Williams Lake dock Saturday morning shortly after Washington’s lowland lake fishing season opened.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Dallas Ochoa, Gabe Simpson and Michael Theodorson, all eight graders at Evergreen Middle School, wait patiently for their first bite in the chill of dawn Saturday at Fishtrap Lake.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Ken Adkins of Spokane lands his first trout of opening morning off the Fishtrap Lake Resort dock. "I've never been anywhere else on opening morning," he said.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Marty Ross, left, and Ryan Hepler try to get a stubborn outboard to start Saturday at Fishtrap Lake. "It's always started right up on opening day," Ross said. "I think I didn't burn all the old gas out of it before I put it away last year."

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Anton Essaulov helps his son, Max, hook a trout at Fishtrap lake while daughter Liya senses a bite on her rig, too.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Bundled against the morning cold, this angler lands a nice rainbow by himself at Fishtrap Lake.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Sheriff's deputies were out on area lakes for the fishing opener, making sure rules were being followed for life jackets, registrations and other boating rules.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Nightcrawlers were the featured entree for trout at area lakes on Saturday.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Two families of Neers from Kennewick were following their opening day family traditions at Fishtrap Lake on Saturday. From left to right: Megan, Alexis, Janson, Jennifer, Cooper and Aaron.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Boat anglers get ready to push out onto Fishtrap Lake just after dawn.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
This trout was just a drop in the bucket for Cooper Neer of Kennewick on his first opening day of fishing season at Fishtrap Lake.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Jason Michaels of Spokane takes the chill of Saturday morning fishing at Williams Lake by serving up a campsite breakfast for his young fishing partners.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Williams Lake in Spokane County has two family resorts. Both resorts offer dock fishing as well as rental fishing boats, with or without motors.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Fly fisher Rob Sherman of Coeur d'Alene had Amber Lake virtually to himself on Saturday Morning. Amber Lake's fishing opened on March 1. Sherman was ready to launch his float tube when he saw a big trout cruising just off shore.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Quinn Beierle of Spokane leave know doubt about his determination for fishing.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Early limits of fish caught the eye of other anglers at Williams Lake on Saturday morning.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
AddyAlbrecht of Spokane proudly poses with the 4-pound rainbow trout she caught Saturday with the help of her dad, Matt, at Williams Lake during the opening day of Washington's lowland Lake fishing season.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Matt Albrecht of Spokane, Wash., reacts to his daughter, Addy, losing a grip on the 4-pound rainbow trout she caught April 25, 2009, at Williams Lake during the opening day of Washington's lowland Lake fishing season. The fish almost went overboard.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Anna Domanico, 4, of Seattle is in high fishing fashion with her Barbie pole on the dock of Klink's Williams Lake Resort.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Grandparents Jim and Nancy Eastham assist their grandson with his world-class tangle while fishing at Williams Lake.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Kenny Allestad of Fairchild Air Force Base unleashes his stepdaughter, Sarianne Winters, from a hook that snagged her sweathirt at Badger Lake.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
John Whalen, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife regional fisheries manager, measures trout for a creel survey at Badger Lake. Anglers Patrick Fitzgerald and Dan Newbury had each caught their limit of trout by trolling and casting flies on opening day of the fishing season in 2009.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review
Amber Oliphant caught the 4 3/4-pound rainbow at Williams Lake while her husband John caught the little tiny one they didn't bother to weigh.

Rich Landers The Spokesman-Review