Lake Chelan ( ) is a narrow, long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. Upon the completion of Lake Chelan Dam in 1927, the elevation of the lake was increased by to its present maximum-capacity elevation of .
Hydrology
On an annual basis, an average of flow into the lake. Approximately 75% of the water that flows into the lake comes from two tributaries. The Stehekin River alone contributes 65% of all water to Lake Chelan, averaging annually. The other major tributary, Railroad Creek, averages annually. The total watershed of the lake is More than 90% of the watershed is forested land. The remainder of the basin is composed of the lake itself (5.6%) and agriculture (3.5%).
Geology
The fjord-like topography of the Lake Chelan valley results from repeated glacial erosion and deposition (maybe nine or ten times) during the Pleistocene Period. The last episode of glacial erosion and deposition in the basin occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum about 21,000 years ago. At that time, in the upper Similkameen River valley of British Columbia, the Skagit Lobe split from the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet and advanced south into the Skagit River drainage. Skagit ice passed through Fisher and Rainy passes, and down Bridge Creek into the Lake Chelan valley. The glacial lobe flowed down the Lake Chelan valley until meeting glacial ice of the main Okanogan Lobe advancing up the valley from the Columbia River drainage near Manson. The deposits of the northwestward advancing Okanagan lobe are characterized by large, basalt glacial erratics. This section of the lake is long, and has an average depth of . The upper Lucerne basin is long with an average depth of and thus by far the larger of the two basins. It is in this part of the lake that the maximum depth of is found. Lucerne basin contains 92% of the water in Lake Chelan and 74% of the surface area, leaving Wapato with only 8% of the total volume of water and 26% of the surface area.
History
Etymology
The name Chelan is a Salish Indigenous word, "Tsi - Laan," meaning 'Deep Water'.
Cities
Due to the isolated nature of Lake Chelan, especially at its northern reaches, there is not a large population that resides along the shore. Chelan, which had 4,222 residents at the 2020 census, is currently the only incorporated city situated along the lake shore. The city is located at the southern terminus of the lake, adjacent to the Lake Chelan Dam and the Chelan River outflow. The census-designated place of Manson, which had 1,523 residents in 2020, is also located at the southern end of the lake. The unincorporated community of Stehekin, is located at the northern terminus of the lake, adjacent to the Stehekin River inflow. At the mouth of the Railroad Creek sits Lucerne, a small community of private cabins served by commercial boats. Lucerne is also the primary gateway to the community of Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center located inland from the lake. With approximately 50 long-term residents, Holden includes one of the few remaining public K-12 two-room schools in the contiguous United States.
Economy
Fishing
Fishing is a popular recreational activity on Lake Chelan. The following fish are or were native to the lake: Bull Trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, Largescale sucker, Longnose sucker, Bridgelip sucker, Northern pikeminnow, Peamouth, Redside shiner, Mountain whitefish, Pygmy whitefish.
In addition to these native species, six species have been introduced to the lake, primarily for sport fishing purposes: Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Kokanee, Brook trout, Chinook salmon, Lake trout
Winemaking
The Lake Chelan AVA surrounds the southernmost 12 miles of Lake Chelan. A subzone of the larger Columbia Valley AVA, the Lake Chelan AVA is home to 31 tasting rooms.
Protected lands
At the north end of the lake, surrounding the town of Stehekin, is Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (NRA). Bordering the Lake Chelan NRA is the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness. The Wenatchee National Forest surrounds much of the lake on either side. Two state parks are located on the southern edge, not far from the city of Chelan. These state parks are Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park and Lake Chelan State Park.
In addition to the protected land located directly on the shores of Lake Chelan, Stehekin serves not only as a gateway to the Lake Chelan NRA, but also to the rest of the North Cascades National Park Complex, Stephen Mather Wilderness, and adjacent National Forest Wilderness Areas. Approximately 87% of the Lake Chelan watershed is owned by either federal, state, or local entities, with the rest in private ownership.