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Rainbow Trout
Photo: Olympic National Park, Public domain 
Kokanee
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0 
Coastal Cutthroat Trout
Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain 
Smallmouth Bass
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Washington lakes and reservoirs
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Keechelus Lake Fishing
A 2,408-acre Washington lake in Kittitas County.
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo: Gene Bisbee, CC BY 2.0
Kittitas County
Keechelus Lake in figures
Keechelus Lake holds 2,408 surface acres of water in Kittitas County, per WDFW. WDFW records the lake at about 2,521 feet. The run to Cle Elum, the closest town, is about 21 miles. WDFW manages it as trout-emphasis water. The WDFW plant report places its county in WDFW Region 3.
The WDFW and State Parks layers list no launch on it. It carries 3 Special Rules of its own. WDFW rates shoreline access as good.
2,408surface acres
2,521 ftelevation
0launches
4species listed
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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Species the WDFW lake layer names at Keechelus Lake
For Keechelus Lake, our WDFW sources list the species below.
WDFW Fish Washington species layers (presence, not abundance), WDFW records and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Access
Ramps on Keechelus Lake
No launch on Keechelus Lake appears in the access layers, so nearby ramps are shown.
Other ramps near Keechelus Lake
- Lake Easton launchLake Easton, 9 miles southeast
- Kinghorn Slough boat launch on Yakima RiverYakima River, 14 miles southeast
Shore access within reach of Keechelus Lake
- Robert & Anna Bell on Cle Elum LakeCle Elum Lake, 12 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.
Limits
Limits that apply on Keechelus 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 |
Keechelus Lake follows the statewide freshwater tables except where the pamphlet names it.
Special Rules WDFW lists for Keechelus Lake
| Water as printed | Species | Rule and season |
|---|---|---|
| Keechelus Lake: Reservoir | All species | Two-Pole not allowed. Chumming permitted. |
| Keechelus Lake: Reservoir | Trout | Min. size 14". Daily limit 2. (Year-round) |
| Keechelus 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.
Compare
Measuring Keechelus Lake against its neighbours
The size leader in this set is Kachess Lake, 4,378 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keechelus Lake | 2,408 | 2,521 ft | 0 | 0 | |
| Lost Lake (Kittitas County) | 3 miles west | 160 | 3,093 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Stirrup Lake | 4 miles southwest | 8.9 | 3,550 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Kachess Lake | 5 miles east | 4,378 | 2,258 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Annette Lake | 6 miles west | 18 | 3,624 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Lodge Lake | 7 miles northwest | 9 | 3,130 ft | 0 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
Nearby
Around the Keechelus Lake area
Lakes for a second day beyond Keechelus Lake
- Lost Lake (Kittitas County)3 miles west
- Stirrup Lake4 miles southwest
- Kachess Lake5 miles east
- Annette Lake6 miles west
- Lodge Lake7 miles northwest
Where to buy worms, eggs and jigs for Keechelus Lake
- Pautzke Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
- Troutwater Fly Shopfly shop, Ellensburg
- Worley-Bugger Fly Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
Guide boats working Keechelus Lake
- Togiak River Fishing Adventurescharter, Ellensburg, (509) 925-6606
- Worley Bugger Fly Cofly fishing guide, Ellensburg, (509) 962-2033
Washington towns handy to Keechelus Lake
- Cle Elum21 miles
- Riverbend21 miles
- Wilderness Rim21 miles
Counties that hold part of Keechelus Lake
- Kittitas Countyseat: Ellensburg
Piscifun
What Piscifun sells for a morning at Keechelus Lake
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Fish photos
How to tell one Keechelus Lake fish from another, by photo
Photo: Olympic National Park, Public domain
Photo: Thomas Quine, CC BY 2.0
Photo: NPS Natural Resources, Public domain
Photo: Yellowstone National Park, Public domain
Answers
Keechelus Lake, asked and answered for Evergreen State anglers
Which Washington county holds Keechelus Lake?
Drive toward Kittitas County, about 21 miles from Cle Elum.
How big is Keechelus Lake by the WDFW figure?
2,408 acres in the WDFW layer.
How many launches do the access layers show on Keechelus Lake?
No ramp is recorded for it in the layers we use.
Does Keechelus Lake hold trout?
Listed species: rainbow trout, kokanee, coastal cutthroat trout and golden trout.
Which 2026-27 pamphlet rows govern Keechelus Lake?
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). WDFW adds rules of its own for it in the limits band.
Which WDFW license does an out-of-state angler buy for Keechelus 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.
Has WDFW stocked Keechelus Lake this year?
It does not appear on the 2026 plant report yet.
Which tackle shop on our Washington list is nearest Keechelus Lake?
Pautzke Bait Co is the nearest tackle stop we list in the same county.
Load the truck for Keechelus Lake
Every WDFW fee and statewide limit sits one click away.