Kitsap Lake

Washington’s Kitsap Lake is located in Kitsap County just west of Bremerton. It is a quite large lake with 238 surface acres and reaches a maximum depth of about 29 feet. The depth will vary a little between winter and fall. The elevation is at 156 feet. The lake is open to year-round fishing.

Fish species include rainbow and cutthroat trout, largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, brown bullhead catfish and pumpkinseed sunfish. Most species grow quite large in Kitsap Lake. I have not fished for trout in this lake but other anglers tell of many trout in the 2, 3 and even 4 pound range. Salmon also visit during late fall.

The largemouth bass fishing is very good for big bass. I have caught many fish over three pounds including one that tipped the scales at 6 pounds, 13 ounces and my best fish was a whopping seven pounds, ten ounces. My best success in bass fishing in this lake comes with black jigs in the ¼ and 3/8 ounce sizes. Spinner baits in both black and white are also effective. On windless mornings, during the spring, floating Rapalas will entice exciting surface strikes. Prime bass habitat in this lake includes lots of lily pads, some old logs and wood in the water and lots of private docks and floats.

Public access is provided by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. This access is located in the southwest corner of the lake. It has limited by usually adequate parking space, pit toilets and a well worn concrete block boat launching ramp. However, the county provides a very nice launching area in the southeast corner of the lake. This access has a very good concrete boat launching ramp with a dock, lots of paved parking and modern restrooms.

As with most lakes, there are many ways to get there. Here is one way: From Bremerton, take Highway #3 northwest to Kitsap Way. Exit onto Kitsap Way and travel west, back under Highway #3 about 1.5 miles to N. Lakeway N.W. for only about .4 mile to W. Kitsap Road. Exit left onto W. Kitsap Road for 1.0 mile to "Public Fishing" sign on the left. This the WDFW access. Continue around the south end of the lake to the County park access.

Bear sighted near Kitsap Lake

According to Patty Glaser, spokesman for the Bremerton School District, a mother bear and cubs were seen "in the Kitsap Lake area."



Authorities at Washington State Fish and Wildlife were contacted and students will be kept in doors today, she said.

"They were not seen on school property but in the general area," Glaser added. "One of the many perks of living in the Great Northwest!"

Kitsap Lake Principal Flint Walpole spoke with an officer from Fish and Wildlife late this afternoon and was told bears will be moving around this time of year foraging for food and the bears will most likely be seen in the mornings and evenings as during the day they tend to avoid noises and humans, according to Glaser.


Fish and Wildlife will be putting a trap in the area to try to catch the bears that are here. They report there is likely more than just one set and if he clears out at least one or two it will leave room for the rest thus making them more scarce.

According to Fish and Wildlife officials, there is nothing to fear from these bears because they are pretty skittish.

"The safety of our students is always our top priority and helping students to understand how to protect themselves in rural settings will continue to be discussed," Glaser said in an email.

History of the Mountaineers in Kitsap County

It began by getting lost...

The rich history of the Mountaineers Kitsap Property began on a Spring day in 1909. A 'local walk' to view the wild blooming rhododendrons around Wildcat Lake began one of the Mountaineers Club most enduring traditions. The 'misguided' group of 66



Mountaineers wandered into Hidden Valley Ranch and met Edward Paschall and his family. A fast friendship was forged on that day. Mountaineers would return regularly to the area for the next 90+ years.


The Rhododendron Preserve


Through the efforts of Mountaineer Peter McGregor and Peter Paschall, the Mountaineers purchased 74 acres of hill land next to Hidden Valley in 1915. The 'Rhododendron Park' was intended as a place for Mountaineers to visit and enjoy and to preserve the natural beauty of the area. Over the years, members would buy tracts of property nearby for their own use. Members would build small cabins to enjoy during their visits. The park had 409 registered visitors in its first 6 months at a time when the club boasted a membership of only 400. The preserve grew in size over the years to almost 200 acres through member donations and property acquisition. In 1985, the Mountaineers Club transferred ownership of 170 acres to the Mountaineers Foundation for preservation and study. The club retained ownership of the 20 acres that contain Kitsap Cabin and the Forest Theater. The Foundation has since purchased buffer property and increased the size of the preserve to over 300 acres.



Kitsap Cabin

The original 74 acre purchase contained a log cabin and several outbuildings. The old Gilson farmstead was a two-story log building that served as the original Kitsap Cabin. The men slept in the barn, the women upstairs in the old house and couples in three chicken houses. The main house was described as a "weather-beaten, decrepit relic of some early settlers losing fight to conquer the stony soil." The Mountaineers recognized that it wouldn't suffice for a lodge much longer. They began seriously to dream of a new cabin.



The new Kitsap cabin was constructed in 1918 during World War I. The war effort had taken away most of the males, so mostly women volunteers did the bulk of the construction work. The fireplace was designed with a niche above the mantle for a plaque honoring Mountaineers who died during the war. The niche remains empty to this day as none were killed.



The cost of the new cabin was $600. The low cost was attributed to C.G. Morrison, a building consultant who helped the Mountaineers secure the best building materials at the best prices. It was estimated that the cabin would have cost $2,500 if all materials and labor had been purchased.



The new cabin, consisting of a kitchen, common area, and a large stone fire place was dedicated by Mountaineer Club president Edmund Meany on November 23, 1918, just days after the war ended. The common area of the cabin was enlarged 1927 with the help of noted architect Elsworth Story. Other than improvements of infrastructure (wiring and plumbing) the cabin remains much like it was when it was originally built.



The Mountaineer Players and the Forest Theater

A prominent activity among early Mountaineer visitors involved dramatic diversions. Skits, pantomimes, kangaroo-courts, and mock-weddings were performed using props and costumes at hand. The first theatrical effort that had any continuity was a pantomime staging of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow in 1916. The headless horseman rode on a bright, moonlit Halloween night. The actors wore sheets and rode sticks with carved horses heads. The skits and performances grew into a released production of Robin of Sherwood on June 17, 1923.



The audience moved from clearing to clearing as different scenes were presented. The performance marked the birth of the Mountaineer Players who would produce an annual show on the property every year to the present day, the only exception being 4 years during World War II.



The early shows were staged in several clearings on the property. The increasing size of the audience and the relatively uncomfortable accommodations (standing in a moist bog while swatting mosquitoes) spurred the movement to build a permanent theater facility. William C. Darling and the Players business manager Claire McGuire scouted the site of the Forest Theatre. The site was a level spot with a gentle upward slope near Chico Creek. The Mountaineers felled trees, carved terraced seats in the hillside and lugged cedar bark from the creek bottom under Mr Darling's direction. The original design of the theater attempted to recreate a natural occurring glade in the forest. Trees were thinned to allow streams of light to fall on the stage while keeping the audience shaded. Wing were constructed out of cedar bark covered with moss. Modernizations such as running water, electricity, and several buildings for storage and dressing have been added but the original design and concept remain the same. A lush row of fern footlights, bark covered wing walls with living moss and rhododendrons and dogwoods filling the back drop accent the "only real forest theater in the United States"



The Mountaineer Players are one of the oldest, continuously operating community theater groups in the country, performing in the one of the oldest outdoor theaters in North America. The Players pride themselves on the family-orientation of their program. It is not uncommon for several generations of families to be involved in producing the show. Several current active members have participated since the 1950's.



For many Mountaineers, the Kitsap Property is a place where a work ethic still prevails and people of all ages have respect for each other and their contributions. Multi-generational friendships endure. It is hoped that the new generations will find satisfaction in play and work well done, and that theatergoers will continue to enjoy the truly unique experience of the Theater in The Wild.



Theatre In The Wild

Theatre in the Wild, A Pictorial History of The Mountaineers Forest Theater is a wonderful telling of the history of the Rhododendron Preserve, Kitsap Cabin and the Forest Theatre. It is available for $10 at the Mountaineer Bookstore in downtown Seattle.



Present Day

Today there are many Mountaineer groups in Kitsap County. The Kitsap Branch of the Mountaineers sponsors great outdoor activities and fun social events. The Mountainer Players offer quality, outdoor entertainment at the Kitsap Forest Theater. A group of dedicated Mountaineers maintain the Club's Kitsap Property with regular workparties. The Mountaineers Foundation , an organization separate form the Club, accepts tax-deductible donations in support of great environmental causes and owns and protects the Rhododendron Preserve ajacent to the Club's Kitsap Property