Wanapum Lake Fishing
A 14,362-acre Washington lake in Kittitas County and 3 other counties.
Pick for largemouth bassPiscifun Chaos Pro CNC baitcasting reel25% OFFSale $97.99 Photo: Dan Ox, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting to know Wanapum Lake
In Kittitas County and 3 other counties, Wanapum Lake measures 14,362 surface acres by the WDFW figure. Groceries and fuel are closest in Quincy, roughly 12 miles out. The county lies inside WDFW Region 3.
The layers tally 5 launches on it, 5 public.
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.
Boat ramps around Wanapum Lake
- Sunland Estates boat launch on Wanapum Lake1 ramp, concrete surface, Discover Pass, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Yoyo Rock boat launch on Wanapum Lake1 ramp, concrete surface, Discover Pass, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
- Old Vantage Highway boat launch on Wanapum Lakeconcrete surface
- Wanapum launchDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
- Wanapum launchDiscover Pass, Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Ramps within easy towing of Wanapum Lake
- Evergreen Reservoir SW boat launchEvergreen Lake, 4 miles east
- Evergreen Reservoir (west) boat launchEvergreen Lake, 4 miles east
- Burke Lake (west) boat launchBurke Lake, 5 miles northeast
- Evergreen Reservoir (north) boat launchEvergreen Lake, 5 miles east
- Burke Lake (south) boat launchBurke Lake, 5 miles east
- Quincy Lake boat launchQuincy Lake, 5 miles northeast
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.
Latest level on Wanapum Lake
USACE Northwestern Division water management data, WAN.Elev-Forebay.Inst.1Hour.0.CBT-REV, reading for October 31, 2026 PST, retrieved October 31, 2026; series datum not stated. Provisional.
Every level shown for Wanapum Lake carries its agency and date.
Washington limits for Wanapum 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 |
Start with the statewide table for Wanapum Lake; any Special Rule overrides it.
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.
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The largest lake listed alongside is Evergreen Lake at 248 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Elevation | Launches | 2026 plants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wanapum Lake | 14,362 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Dusty Lake | 4 miles northeast | 41 | 836 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Ancient Lake South | 5 miles northeast | 8.7 | 826 ft | 0 | 0 |
| Evergreen Lake | 5 miles east | 248 | 1,204 ft | 4 | 0 |
| Quincy Lake | 5 miles northeast | 54 | 1,179 ft | 1 | 0 |
| Burke Lake | 5 miles east | 69 | 1,191 ft | 3 | 0 |
WDFW Fish Washington lake layers, access layers and the 2026 trout plant report; retrieved October 31, 2026.
A few miles from Wanapum Lake
Nearby lakes worth a look from Wanapum Lake
- Dusty Lake4 miles northeast
- Ancient Lake South5 miles northeast
- Evergreen Lake5 miles east
- Quincy Lake5 miles northeast
- Burke Lake5 miles east
Tackle and bait counters serving Wanapum Lake
- Sportsman's Warehouse East Wenatcheesporting goods store, East Wenatchee, 25 miles
- Desert Fly Anglerfly shop, Ephrata
- Sportsman's Warehouse Moses Lakesporting goods store, Moses Lake
- Pautzke Bait Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
- Troutwater Fly Shopfly shop, Ellensburg
- Worley-Bugger Fly Cobait and tackle shop, Ellensburg
Paid fishing guides around Wanapum Lake
- Allan's Fishing Guide Servicecharter, Chelan, (509) 670-0411
- Darrell and Dads Family Guide Service Fishing Tripscharter, Manson, (509) 687-0709
- Don Talbot's Fishing Guide Servicecharter, Wenatchee, (509) 679-8641
- Togiak River Fishing Adventurescharter, Ellensburg, (509) 925-6606
- Worley Bugger Fly Cofly fishing guide, Ellensburg, (509) 962-2033
Where to book a room for Wanapum Lake
- Quincy12 miles
- Rock Island19 miles
- Kittitas21 miles
County guides for Wanapum Lake
- Kittitas Countyseat: Ellensburg
- Grant Countyseat: Ephrata
- Douglas Countyseat: Waterville
- Chelan Countyseat: Wenatchee
Piscifun gear a Cascades angler could bring to Wanapum Lake
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Lakes, rivers and sound close to Wanapum Lake, pictured
Photo: brewbooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Fighting Irish 1977, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Steve Voght, CC BY-SA 2.0
What people planning Wanapum Lake want to know
What part of the Evergreen State holds Wanapum Lake?
You will find it in Kittitas County and 3 other counties, about 12 miles from Quincy.
How much surface does Wanapum Lake spread across in the WDFW layer?
About 14,362 surface acres.
Which listed launch sits closest to Wanapum Lake?
Yes: 5 launches appear in the access layers, Sunland Estates boat launch on Wanapum Lake among them.
What fish does WDFW list for Wanapum Lake?
The WDFW layer names no fish for it.
What daily limit applies on Wanapum 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).
Can a visitor from Idaho fish Wanapum 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.
Does Wanapum Lake get hatchery trout?
The plant report has nothing for it in 2026 to date.
Is there a tackle store on the way to Wanapum Lake?
Sportsman's Warehouse East Wenatchee, about 25 miles away is the first shop on our Washington list.
What was the newest reading at Wanapum Lake?
See the level panel (USACE NWD water management (dataquery)).
Save a free Saturday for Wanapum Lake
Fees, limits and catch record card rules are on the license page.