Paddling and Kayak Fishing Lake Chelan, Washington

The past couple of weeks I've been paddling and exploring eastern Washington and Oregon. This post is about Lake Chelan, which in my opinion is the most beautiful lake in the world! It is a glacier fed and carved lake 55 miles long and in some spots over 1400 feet deep making it the third deepest lake in the U.S.. The water clarity is unmatched by any lake I have ever seen including Lake Tahoe.

We stayed at Lakeshore RV park which is situated right next to the lake and has easy kayak launching  access. If you bring your wheels you can pull your kayak to the beach which is maybe 100 yards from the campground depending on where you're parked. If you're not camping you can use the boat launch facility for $5 daily fee.

I didn't get to do as much long distance paddling as I had hoped but I did get to fish from my kayak in the crystal clear waters. The water temperature is somewhere between 55 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit so it's best to dress for immersion if you plan on doing any long distance paddling or paddle far from shore. Keep an eye on the weather and check the forecast before launching as the weather can quickly change and the wind can produce 3-4 foot swells. There are multiple options for paddling trips and I suggest using route builder to plan your trip.

I fished from my kayak on one day and paddled from lakeshore park towards the dam. as I tossed my lure into the water I could see many fish following it but didn't have any bites. I discovered a place near shore under the cover of some trees where I parked, ate lunch and watched as many fish passed by my boat. Although I didn't catch anything it was a great day on the water!