Lake Chelan
Water Activities

best time to visit
activities

Lake Chelan Water Activities

Lake Chelan, a stunning 50.5-mile glacier-fed lake in Washington State that is the third deepest lake in the United States, is a paradise for water enthusiasts. With its crystal-clear blue waters and breathtaking mountain scenery, the lake offers an array of aquatic adventures for visitors of all ages. For thrill-seekers, jet skiing and wakeboarding provide high-speed excitement, while water skiing lets you glide effortlessly across the lake. Kayakers and paddleboarders can explore the serene coves tucket into the shoreline, enjoying a peaceful connection with nature. Boating is another popular activity, whether you prefer sailing, pontoon cruising, or fishing for trout and kokanee salmon in the lake's deep waters. Whether you seek adrenaline-pumping action or a tranquil day on the water, Lake Chelan offers the perfect aquatic escape in the heart of Washington's scenic beauty.

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best time to visit

For water based activities, the summer is the time to come to Lake Chelan. Around Memorial Day, you will find people starting to enjoy the lake, with numerous boats on sunny weekends. But the large deep lake is on the cooler side, especially in May. The lake starts to warm up in June, typically hitting 70 degrees at the lower end of the lake by August. The waterpark, Slidewaters, also typically opens on Memorial Day, staying open until September.

While Lake Chelan is a natural lake, there was a dam built in the early 1900's and now the water level of the lake is controlled by the Chelan Public Utility District. The lake level starts lowering in the fall, and starts rising in the spring, with full level by July 4th. The lake level usually doesn't have too much impact unless you are renting a house with a boat lift, in which case it may not be accessible until June.

Lake Chelan Water Temperature

Current water temperature taken from the Lake Chelan Dam

activities

Kayaking

What better way to take in the sights of Lake Chelan than by kayak! You can launch kayaks at the various boat launches on the lake, as well as from Don Morse and Lakeside Park. Kayaking is especially popular in the mornings, when boat traffic is minimal and the temperatures are more reasonable. However, people do kayak throughout the day on the lake. There are a number of spots in Chelan that rent kayaks, including Chelan Parasail, Lake Rider Sports and Shoreline Watercraft.

boating

Nothing beats a day on Lake Chelan in the summer, cruising around the lake and enjoying various water sports like wakeboarding, wakesurfing and tubing. There are a couple of businesses in Manson which rent boats for the half day or day, as well as boat launches at Old Mill Park and Manson Bay Park (off-season only). The waters past Manson are usually less busy than down by Chelan, and Watson's Harverene resort across the lake has a gasoline pump for boats, so Manson is the perfect place to launch your boat!

Boating on Lake Chelan

Paddleboarding

Whether it's going out for a quick board from your dock, or spending the entire day to see how far up lake you can make it, paddleboarding is a very popular activity on Lake Chelan. Paddleboarding around the lower end of the lake where it spills out into the Chelan River is a popular area, as is around Manson Bay Park. Note, with all the boat activity and wind coming down the lake, the waves can be sizable. General rules of thumb : farther up lake has less boat traffic, mornings and evenings tend to have calmer water, and the waves and wind can be much stronger past the narrows. There are a number of spots in Chelan that rent paddleboards, including Chelan Parasail, Lake Rider Sports and Shoreline Watercraft.

Parasailing

Parasailing Chelan was Washington State's first parasail company, providing memorable experiences on Lake Chelan for over 30 years. For those not familiar with parasailing, it involves being towed behind a boat with a specially designed canopy wing that resembles a parachute which lifts the flyers into the air . Parasailing Chelan has packages that include flyers and non-flyers, and can accommodate three people at the same time, and also offer photo packages as well.

Surfing

There are a couple of different surfing options around Lake Chelan. Wakesurfing is a popular new activity, where a rider trails behind a boat without using a rope, and is a great sport when the waves in Lake Chelan make wakeboarding difficult. For more traditional surfing, look no further than Lakeside Surf, which has one the world's largest artificial waves measuring in at 6 feet high and over 54 feet wide.

swimming

While the lake can be on the colder side, once the temperatures rise in the summer swimming is a very popular water activity. Your best bet for finding a suitable spot to swim is one of the many parks situated on the water, which all have swimming spots :

Lakeside Park - large swimming area with a couple of docks, grass and shade
Don Morse Park- large beach area with swimming
Manson Bay Park - Protected swimming with easy access via concrete stairs
Willow Park - Small beach and swimming area

Additionally, both Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park and Lake Chelan State Park have swimming areas, however a Discover or day pass is required to access state parks. There are a couple of nearby swimming areas on the Columbia River, including Chelan Falls Park. Click on the link below to view al the swimming spots around Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan Swimming