Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan ( shə-LAN) is a narrow, 50.5 mi (81.3 km) long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S.
A lake, 2 mi west of Chelan
Chelan is the nearest base
Chelan is 2 miles east, with 25 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun and Sep
May, June and September are the mild months, with highs of 71–78°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Chelan. Green months are the mild ones.
Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan ( shə-LAN) is a narrow, 50.5 mi (81.3 km) long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. It is an overdeepened lake and resembles a fjord, with an average width of 1.3 mi (2.1 km). Near its upper end, the lake surface lies more than 6,600 ft (2,000 m) below peaks less than 3 mi (4.8 km) away. Before 1927, Lake Chelan was the largest natural lake in the state, in terms of both surface area and water volume. Upon the completion of Lake Chelan Dam in 1927, the elevation of the lake was increased by 21 ft (6.4 m) to its present maximum-capacity elevation of 1,100 ft (340 m).
- Type
- Lake
- Area
- 52 square miles
- Elevation
- 1,099 ft
- Wikipedia readers
- 42K a year
Where to stay near Lake Chelan
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Chelan (25) and Manson (16).
Chelan
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
4,494 people · 29% vacation homes
2 mi east of Lake Chelan
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Lake Chelan | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelan 29% vacation homes | 2 mi east | 5 min | 25 11 hotels · 5 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 RV parks | 4,494 | $518K |
| Manson 35% vacation homes | 6 mi northwest | 10 min | 16 5 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 4 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 1,462 | $597K |
| Chelan Falls | 4 mi southeast | 5 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | 233 | — |
| Pateros | 16 mi northeast | 25 min | 3 1 motel · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 654 | $279K |
| Waterville | 13 mi south | 20 min | 1 1 hotel | 1,156 | $262K |
| Entiat | 14 mi southwest | 20 min | 1 1 campground | 1,576 | $365K |
| Bridgeport | 21 mi northeast | 30 min | 2 1 campground · 1 RV park | 2,274 | $177K |
| Brewster | 22 mi northeast | 35 min | 2 1 motel · 1 RV park | 2,093 | $240K |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Lake Chelan
Other well-known places within 62 miles.
Big draw50 mi DamGrand Coulee Dam
51 mi TheatreThe Gorge Amphitheatre
60 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year
36 mi WaterfallDry Falls
53 mi MountainGlacier Peak
38 mi Park & preserveGrand Coulee
56 mi Park & preserveAlpine Lakes Wilderness
62 mi State parkGinkgo Petrified Forest State ParkPhoto credits
Grand Coulee Dam: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Public domain · The Gorge Amphitheatre: Daniel from Calgary, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · North Cascades National Park: Daniel Hershman, CC BY 2.0 · Dry Falls: Ikiwaner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Glacier Peak: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grand Coulee: en:User:Duk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alpine Lakes Wilderness: Walter Siegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Justinleif~commonswiki assumed (based on co, Public domain
Visiting Lake Chelan
What town is Lake Chelan near?
Chelan, WA, about 2 miles east.
When is the best time to visit Lake Chelan?
May, June and September, with highs of 71–78°.
What is the closest airport to Lake Chelan?
Pangborn Memorial (EAT), about 31 miles away. The nearest big hub is Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), about 109 miles.
Where should I stay near Lake Chelan?
Chelan (2 mi, 25 places to stay), Manson (6 mi, 16 places to stay) and Pateros (16 mi, 3 places to stay).
Tips from people in Chelan
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Chelan’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.