Lake Chelan

Lake Chelan is a pristine, 50 mile long lake in Chelan County in the north central portion of Washington State.  The name is a Salish Indian word Tsi-Laan, meaning deep water.  Lake Chelan is fed by streams along the Cascade Range.  Lake Chelan has a maximum depth of 1,486 ft (453 m).  This makes Lake Chelan the third deepest lake in the country and the 24th deepest in the world.  The average width of Lake Chelan is approximately one mile. 

The city of Chelan sits at the southeast tip of the lake.  Lake Chelan flows through the city into the Chelan River and then to a hydroelectric Dam.  Chelan River is an attributary to the Columbia River only 5 miles from Lake Chelan.  At the opposite end of Lake Chelan you will find a small town named Stehekin.  Access to Stehekin is limited to boat, plane or foot.  The longest road uplake extends along the South Shore for 25 miles ending at a state park.  The most common way to visit Stehekin is by purchasing a ticket on the Lady of the Lake a large boat that makes daily trips during the summer and winter.  Through the years Lake Chelan has seen commercial airlines make charter trips uplake. 

Lake Chelan is an incredible area with high desert countryside, wooded forests, world class agriculture, wonderful wineries with four seasons and 300 days of sunshine.