Kachess Lake Fishing
A 4,378-acre Washington lake in Kittitas County.
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Kachess Lake at a glance
Spread over 4,378 acres, Kachess Lake is a lake of Kittitas County on the WDFW map. The WDFW elevation field reads 2,258 feet. The nearest town is Cle Elum, some 16 miles off. The lake layer classes it as trout-emphasis water. WDFW plants for its county are listed under WDFW Region 3.
The access layers record no ramp here. The pamphlet prints 3 Special Rules for it. Shoreline access on the WDFW record: good.
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers on geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov (surface acres, elevation, management emphasis, shoreline access, species), USGS NHD outlines, Census 2023 places, retrieved October 31, 2026.
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What the WDFW lake data says swims in Kachess Lake:
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Trailer access to the water at Kachess Lake
The access layers show no ramp on Kachess Lake; city, tribal or private launches may exist.
More WDFW and park launches around Kachess Lake
- Lake Easton launchLake Easton, 5 miles southeast
- Kinghorn Slough boat launch on Yakima RiverYakima River, 10 miles southeast
Piers and shore sites by Kachess Lake
- Robert & Anna Bell on Cle Elum LakeCle Elum Lake, 6 miles
WDFW Water Access Sites and Shore Fishing Sites layers (geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov) and the Washington State Parks boat launch layer, retrieved October 31, 2026. A Discover Pass is needed to park at WDFW access sites and State Parks launches.
Size and daily limits on Kachess Lake
| Species | Daily limit and size | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only largemouth bass less than 12" may be retained, except 1 over 17" may be retained. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Smallmouth Bass | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Only 1 smallmouth bass over 14" may be retained. Daily limit 10. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Walleye | Min. size 12" in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 8. Only 1 over 22" may be retained. May be caught, retained, and released alive from a livewell until daily limit is in possession. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Channel Catfish | No min. size in lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Burbot (Freshwater Ling) | No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Crappie, Northern Pikeminnow, Peamouth Chub, Perch, Suckers, Sunfish, | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 |
| Grass Carp | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
| Kokanee | No min. size. Daily limit 10. When fishing with bait, all kokanee that are lawful to possess and are equal to or greater than the minimum size are counted as part of the daily limit whether kept or released. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Tiger Muskellunge (Tiger Muskie) | Min. size 50". Daily limit 1. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Whitefish | No min. size. Daily limit 15. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Steelhead | Release all wild steelhead. Min. size 20". Daily limit 2. Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed. | Open during salmon or game fish seasons unless as otherwise listed |
| Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout | In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5. | Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23) |
| Trout (combined rivers and lakes same day) | The combined daily limit for an angler that fishes in both rivers and lakes on the same day is 5 trout, no more than 2 may be from rivers. | see the pamphlet |
| Lake Trout | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Eastern Brook Trout (EBT) | No min. size. No daily limit. | Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: year-round; rivers, streams and beaver ponds: Sat. before Memorial Day through Oct. 31 (p.23 general rule for |
| Dolly Varden/Bull Trout | Closed unless otherwise listed in Special Rules. | Closed |
On Kachess Lake the statewide freshwater rows hold unless a Special Rule below says otherwise.
Pamphlet Special Rules on Kachess Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Kachess Lake: Reservoir | All species | Chumming permitted. Two-Pole not allowed. |
| Kachess Lake: Reservoir | Trout | Min. size 14". Daily limit 2. (Year-round) |
| Kachess Lake: Reservoir | Other game fish | Statewide min. size/daily limit. (Year-round) |
Special Rules as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), pamphlet page 95 (pamphlet PDF), read on eRegulations October 31, 2026.
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
Limits and seasons as printed in the 2026-2027 Washington Sport Fishing Rules (WDFW pamphlet, in effect July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), PDF page 27 (pamphlet PDF; eRegulations statewide freshwater page), read October 31, 2026.
How Kachess Lake compares in its part of Washington
By WDFW acreage, Cle Elum Lake tops the table with 4,566.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kachess Lake | 4,378 | 2,258 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Lake Easton | 5 miles south | 205 | 2,184 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Keechelus Lake | 5 miles west | 2,408 | 2,521 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Easton Ponds | 7 miles southeast | 16 | 2,139 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Cle Elum Lake | 8 miles southeast | 4,566 | 2,227 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Lost Lake (Kittitas County) | 8 miles west | 160 | 3,093 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Next to Kachess Lake
Lakes a brief detour from Kachess Lake
- Lake Easton5 miles south
- Keechelus Lake5 miles west
- Easton Ponds7 miles southeast
- Cle Elum Lake8 miles southeast
- Lost Lake (Kittitas County)8 miles west
Tackle counters within a quick drive of Kachess Lake
- Pautzke Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
- Troutwater Fly Shopfly shop, Ellensburg
- Worley-Bugger Fly Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
Who runs guided trips on Kachess Lake
- Togiak River Fishing Adventurescharter, Ellensburg, (509) 925-6606
- Worley Bugger Fly Cofly fishing guide, Ellensburg, (509) 962-2033
Washington towns with beds close by Kachess Lake
- Cle Elum16 miles
- Riverbend26 miles
- Wilderness Rim26 miles
The counties around Kachess Lake
- Kittitas Countyseat: Ellensburg
A Piscifun spinning setup worth packing for Kachess Lake
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A photo key to fish at Kachess Lake
Photo: Olympic National Park, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0
Photo: USFWS – Pacific Region, Public domain
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Quick replies about fishing Kachess Lake
How do I find Kachess Lake on a county map?
Search Kittitas County on the map, about 16 miles from Cle Elum.
Is Kachess Lake a large lake for Washington?
Some 4,378 acres by WDFW.
Can a trailered boat get onto Kachess Lake from a listed launch?
The WDFW and State Parks layers list none on it; nearby ramps appear in the access band.
Which fish do WDFW sources tie to Kachess Lake?
rainbow trout, kokanee and coastal cutthroat trout, by the WDFW layers and plants.
How many trout go home from Kachess Lake under the 2026-27 pamphlet?
Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Golden Trout, Tiger Trout: In lakes, ponds, and reservoirs: No min. size. Daily limit 5.; Year-round (statewide lake season, p.23). Read the Special Rules table above too.
What does a WDFW freshwater license cost for a day at Kachess Lake?
Anglers 16 and older need a Washington Freshwater license ($39.95 resident, $115.85 nonresident for 2026-27) or a Combination license; salmon, steelhead and sturgeon also take a catch record card.
When did WDFW last plant trout in Kachess Lake?
No hatchery rows name it this year.
Where do Kachess Lake regulars stock up?
Pautzke Bait Co in the same county tops our shop list here.
Make the drive out to Kachess Lake
License prices, seasons and Special Rules are gathered on one page.