Fishing at Crescent Lake, Chelan County, Washington

• Overview

  Crescent Lake lies within the bounds of Chelan County, Washington. Height above sea level is 5,459 feet. Surface area runs to about 2 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Chelan County are larger. Leavenworth at 20 miles is the nearest place to stop. Everett sits 59 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Crescent Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Fish documented in Chelan County include cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Fish Crescent Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 23°F in December and 58°F in August. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Crescent Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Rock Lake is 0.7 miles off. Rules at Crescent Lake are worth checking on the day.