Why is Pass Lake still closed

Josh

Josh

Dead in the water
Staff member
Admin
So I swung by Pass Lake when I was on Fidalgo the other day. It appears to be still closed with the parking lot blocked off? What's the deal with that? I know there was an algae thing going on last summer:

www.q13fox.com

Pass Lake in Skagit County closes due to toxic blue-green algae

Pass Lake in Deception Pass State Park is closed until further notice after tests detected high Anatoxin-a levels in water samples.
www.q13fox.com www.q13fox.com

I can't imagine that is still a factor, but there was still a big sign about it right at the water. There was also a log that looked like it was put in front of the launch on purpose? I also found this fairly unhelpful page about a sinkhole?

www.parks.wa.gov

Pass Lake parking lot has limited parking. Boat launch is open.

Due to a sinkhole, the parking lot has limited parking and the boat launch at Pass Lake is open.
www.parks.wa.gov www.parks.wa.gov

I admit, I didn't SEE a sinkhole, but I also wasn't looking for one.

So is the lake open to fish, just not park or use the launch?
 
Josh,

I was there last week and people were parking along the pullouts along the lake and launching there. We took float tubes, but there were people launching Prams without much difficulty. The only issue is once 5-6 rigs were at the lake by the evening there wasn't much more parking available.

I'm not up to date on what's happening with the main parking/launch but the lake is open and fishing well.
 
oh no a sink hole?!?!? It’s going to be a decade before that gets fixed…. ;)
 
For those that are fishing Pass Lake, now that the parking lot is closed, I'm certain that it has been less crowded. I called some number, and talked to someone. He told me it was legal to fish but.blah..blah..blah.. and lot's of confusing language obviously trying to cover his ass, and extremely secretive of when the problem is expected to be fixed.. Personally I see a train wreck in slow motion. As summer rolls in, we normally see the parking lot rather full. Along with the fisherman, there are boats of all kinds, kayakers, stand up paddle boards, dogs taking a swim..etc.. IMHO, even if half of that "activity" takes place along the main road (20) it's going to get very ugly, very fast. Add to that that no "outdoor facilities " exist....... I am hesitant to say this, but if the parking lot remains closed,,,and the lake remains open...It will make for good fishing..but human blood might very well run into the lake from the vehicular carnage on the 20.
 
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I wonder how many state (and possibly federal) agencies are involved with this sinkhole (culvert failure)? WDFW, WDNR, WA State Parks, WSDOT, and...? Whose budget? Who is in charge? What environmental considerations are there to fix a collapsed culvert? I wonder if you guys that fish this lake could write these guys:

State District 10 Legislators​

 
Once I pass the closed parking lot and turn north on the 20 there is a very small parking area. If another vehicle is parked there it is truly tricky. Getting out of that parking area is even more tricky. Farther north is the only other option. This is a sketchy as hell, rutted out place to pull off, and is used by some very big vehicles. And yes these "pull offs" can be safely used to access Pass Lake. However it is only a matter of time until a serious tragedy is going to happen. This road is busy and dangerous. This lake is extremely provocative. This parking lot being closed could very possibly cause death.
 
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Those we vote in and or allow to rule the roost … has consequences. 🤦🏼‍♂️

(Sorry…had a very stiff cocktail and a fine cigar in the sun this evening. Life is good. 😁 )
 
Jim in Anacortes said:
Once I pass the closed parking lot and turn north on the 20 there is a very small parking area. If another vehicle is parked there it is truly tricky. Getting out of that parking area is even more tricky. Farther north is the only other option. This is a sketchy as hell, rutted out place to pull off, and is used by some very big vehicles. And yes these "pull offs" can be safely used to access Pass Lake. However it is only a matter of time until a serious tragedy is going to happen. This road is busy and dangerous. This lake is extremely provocative. This parking lot being closed could very possibly cause death.
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And then the pullouts will be closed off.
Leland
 
Josh said:
So I swung by Pass Lake when I was on Fidalgo the other day. It appears to be still closed with the parking lot blocked off? What's the deal with that? I know there was an algae thing going on last summer:

www.q13fox.com

Pass Lake in Skagit County closes due to toxic blue-green algae

Pass Lake in Deception Pass State Park is closed until further notice after tests detected high Anatoxin-a levels in water samples.
www.q13fox.com www.q13fox.com

I can't imagine that is still a factor, but there was still a big sign about it right at the water. There was also a log that looked like it was put in front of the launch on purpose? I also found this fairly unhelpful page about a sinkhole?

www.parks.wa.gov

Pass Lake parking lot has limited parking. Boat launch is open.

Due to a sinkhole, the parking lot has limited parking and the boat launch at Pass Lake is open.
www.parks.wa.gov www.parks.wa.gov

I admit, I didn't SEE a sinkhole, but I also wasn't looking for one.

So is the lake open to fish, just not park or use the launch?
Click to expand...
Like others have said, the lake is open to fishing...only the parking lot is closed. The challenge is finding a place to pull off along the highway...but once ya do, think of it as going to Costco or Trader Joe's with the border still closed ;) WaNative and I fished it yesterday and did all right.

Regarding the sink hole or whatever the problem is in the lot, it doesn't look to me that anything has been done since it was first coned off months ago. Like Buzzy noted, I can only guess there are multiple agencies involved and the lack of money plays a part.

I agree that as it summer approaches and more people are out, accessing the lake could be a problem....so have a Plan B if you're heading that way. I, for one, would not want to park across the road and then play Frogger with my tube on those blind curves just to go fishing. Hopefully people won't do stupid stuff and get it shut down further.
 
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Someone probably described a pothole as a sinkhole on an official form and now it’s running all the way up to Washington DC for what to do.

DC will say that we locally, need to develop and multi-county sink hole task force, hire a sink hole team at each county, and have some folks figure out how to allocate funds. Next they will find more sink holes and this sink hole will be low priority. In five years the sink hole department of Skagit County will announce that due to lack of funding, the Pass Lake sink hole won’t be fixed until 2040.
 
M_D said:
Like others have said, the lake is open to fishing...only the parking lot is closed. The challenge is finding a place to pull off along the highway...but once ya do, think of it as going to Costco or Trader Joe's with the border still closed ;) WaNative and I fished it yesterday and did all right.

Regarding the sink hole or whatever the problem is in the lot, it doesn't look to me that anything has been done since it was first coned off months ago. Like Buzzy noted, I can only guess there are multiple agencies involved and the lack of money plays a part.

I agree that as it summer approaches and more people are out, accessing the lake could be a problem....so have a Plan B if you're heading that way. I, for one, would not want to park across the road and then play Frogger with my tube on those blind curves just to go fishing. Hopefully people won't do stupid stuff and get it shut down further.
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The statement "an accident waiting to happen" has never been more true.😥
I know last year during the algae closure Skagit county health dept. was in charge
of when it would or could reopen.
There is no reason they couldn't move the closure ribbons and barrels further down into the parking lot to allow a few vehicles to park there safely. It's healthy to live.
Highway 20 in that stretch is dangerous as hell on it's best day. The volume of traffic all day long is mind boggling and at peak traffic hours and weekends it's off the chart insane.
Now I'm all worked up.😬
I'm calling Skagit county to start an information gathering search.
 
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I just got off the phone with Skagit county parks and rec director Brian talking about the parking lot.
As far as he knows Skagit county is responsible for part of the parking lot but not the part where the sinkhole is🤔
He says State park is responsible for the sinkhole part. I have a contact number for the state park director and was able to convince Skagit county Brian to get with Deception pass state park director and find out what's going on as far as a timeline or anything else he could and get back to me. We'll see how that goes.
Fred
 
Triploidjunkie said:
How hard would it be for a group to just go in and get it done on their own. If you wait for the government, nothing will happen. It might be one of those things that's better to ask for forgiveness than permission 🤷
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I don't know for sure what the problem is, but it sounded like a pipe leaking and undermining the parking lot so the damage may be more extensive than meets the eye.
 
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