Lake Chelan is a boaters paradise. The blue, pristine waters of this 55-mile long lake open a variety of options for the recreational boater and water sports aficionado, whether they are using the lake to play, fish or to travel into the spectacular and primitive North Cascades.

The boating and water sports playground is, for the most part, confined to the lower basin, called the Wapato Basin. It's in this lower basin that water skiing, tubing, kneeboards, personal water craft and just plain recreational boating takes place. The lower basin extends to about 25-Mile Creek which is also the farthest uplake point that passenger cars can drive.

The upper basin, called the Lucerne Basin, is where this pristine body of water plunges to depths of 1,500 feet... 400 feet below sea level. Except for the occasional recreational boater, the upper basin is where the lake becomes a highway... a highway to the 15 overnight Forest Service and National Park Service boat-in campgrounds scattered along the shoreline all the way to the small community of Stehekin at the head of the lake.

Wapato Basin Fun

The lower basin is where most people do their boating and relaxing on Lake Chelan. The boat and personal water craft traffic creates a lot of chop, which is great fun for the tuber and personal water craft user, but not necessarily what the water skier wants. Serious water skiers come to Lake Chelan in the summer, but the best time of day to ski is early... very early in the morning before all the other water craft users are up and around and the lake is nice and flat.

Public Boat Launches

Chelan Riverwalk Park
Located on the south side of the lake near the Chelan Dam.
Year-round free launching facility.

Lake Shore Marina
Operated by the Chelan Parks - fee to launch.
Overnight moorage, pump-out station and fuel.

Old Mill Park
Located just east of Manson, this facility offers a large parking lot for boat trailers and a pump-out station.
Launch and park for a fee.

Lake Chelan State Park
A very popular campground that also offers a year-round launch facility.
A daily permit is available for watercraft launching, vehicle parking and trailer dumping at the park for $5.

Manson Bay
Used only during low water periods which occur during the winter months and early spring.
Overnight moorage - $5

25-Mile Creek State Park
A very popular campground and the most popular launch site for boaters accessing the upper reaches of Lake Chelan.
Fuel
A daily permit is available for watercraft launching, vehicle parking and trailer dumping at the park for $5. 

Other facilities

Fuel
There are several private fueling stations on the lake. In the lower lake these are located at the Lake Chelan Marina on the south shore of Lake Chelan; Watson's Haverene Resort just north of Lake Chelan State Park; Kelly's Resort on the south shore between 25-Mile Creek and Field's Point Landing; and at Stehekin at the head of the lake.

Stehekin also offers overnight moorage facilities and a pump-out station

Lucerne Basin Fun

The upper lake regions of Lake Chelan take the boating public into the wild, spectacular fjord-like region of glacier peaked mountains and deep blueish-green glacial waters of the upper lake area. The U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service maintain a number of campgrounds on both the north and south shores of the lake. There is a fee of $5 per night to use these campgrounds or boaters can purchase a $40 season pass which is good from May 1 through October 31. Before May 1 and after October 31, the sites are free. Many of these campgrounds also serve as trail heads into the Glacier Peak Wilderness and Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness areas

Up-lake Campgrounds
For more information contact the Chelan Ranger Station, (509) 682-2576 or on the web, click here.

Mitchell Creek
Across from Field's Point on the north shore.
Floating docks, camping and picnic areas and stream fishing

Deer Point
Seasonal floating dock, camping and picnic areas and stream fishing

Saftey Harbor
A year-round floating dock, camping and picnic areas and stream fishing

Big Creek
Seasonal crib dock and boat basin

Corral Creek
Seasonal floating dock

Graham Harbor
This campground offers boaters a year-round floating dock, seasonal crib dock and stream fishing.

Graham Harbor Creek
Located just north of Graham Harbor, this small campground offers campsites and several fire rings.

Prince Creek
A seasonal floating dock, camping and picnic areas and fishing
Serves as a trail head into the Chelan/Sawtooth Wilderness Area as well as a trail head for the popular 17-mile Lakeshore Trail to Stehekin.

Domke Falls
This spectacular waterfall has several campsites and a year-round floating dock

Refrigerator Harbor
On the south shore.
Overnight camping and a year-round floating dock

Lucerne
A major stop for travelers into the Glacier Peak Wilderness and to the small retreat community of Holden. The Lady of the Lake makes this a regular stop on their trip both up and down lake.
Year-round floating dock, seasonal crib and floating docks, camping and picnic areas.

Moore Point
Located on the north shore of Lake Chelan
Camping, floating docks, a seasonal crib dock and picnic areas.

Flick Creek
Small seasonal moorage just north of Moore Pointoffers overnight camping.

Manley Wham
A small campsite with seasonal moorage.

Stehekin
The landing at Stehekin offers the boating public a full service resort with restaurant, small convenience store, fuel, overnight moorage, camping, picnic areas, hiking and self-guided trails.

Weaver Point
Located directly across from Stehekin Landing
Camping

Purple Point
Just north of the Stehekin landing
Camping

Non-motorized boating

Lake Chelan is becoming a favorite kayak and canoeing location. Most human powered boating activity takes place above 25-Mile Creek where the majority of the boating public don't go. Once into the Lucerne Basin, paddlers have a relatively quiet wilderness experience as they paddle along Lake Chelan's wild and spectacular shorelines. They have an opportunity to watch wildlife including mountain goat, mountain sheep, deer, bear, cougar and birds of prey in their natural habitat.

Click Here for Boat and Jet Ski Rental Information

Click Here for Boat & Air Tour Information

Click Here for the Boating pages of the Travel Planner

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