Fishing lake chelan?

[bear hunter]

I was thinking of taking my niece fishing. Has anyone camped over there? I was hoping to find a park with a boat ramp and camping. I am bringing the downrigger and salmon rods for lakers also trout rods. Any suggestions on a place to camp and launch the boat. I was hoping to be close to the fishing hole and camp site. My 6 year old niece only can hold it so long. LOL Anything can help. Also how do you fish for freshwater lings and do they bite in late may?

[lokidog]

There is a park with a boat launch in/near manson.  I don't remember if there is camping or not.  We fished pretty much out in the middle in like 200' trolling wiggle warts or something like that right on the bottom.  They might have been sardine wrapped.  It was a long time ago.....

A google search for campgrounds Manson WA shows a few.

My ex and I used to catch nice rainbows off of grade creek but that was 18 years or so ago before they decided rainbows shouldn't be there.

Good luck.

[Heredoggydoggy]

There's camping and a boat launch at Lake Chelan State Park, right at the end of the Navarre Coulee Road (Hwy 971), on the south shore of the lake.  Large camping area there.  Also up at the end of the road along the south shore of the lake is 25 Mile Creek State Park with camping and boat launch.  Can't help much with the fishing part, someone else may have more info on that part of it.  This time of the year there should be campsites available, but they are popular spots, so I'd call first to make sure you have a spot before making the drive over.

[bear hunter]

  Thanks guys will do. I will call the parks dept. to see if they have spots available.

[BigD]

http://cityofchelan.us/parks/rv/rv_park.aspx

We stayed at the above link a few years ago, it was in the month of March. If I remember they draw the lake down around this time so make sure the boat launch you plan to use has water there, with that said we launched at the one in chelan it was only a few minute drive from the camp site and its at the very bottom of the lake. I think it was free to launch??
We motored up to about 140' of water and trolled that line and moved out deeper to about 200' as the sun came up. We did very well on the lakers. Troll on bottom or within 10' of it and plan to work the downriggers often as the bottom changes frequently. We used a dodger with a spoon or shrimp flys. We also went farther up just above the narrows and landed a couple of chinook, we were in 300'+ water up there and used the same tackle.
Great lake to fish this time of year, we only saw a few boats on the water and we left the camper up there for the entire month and fished every weekend.
Good luck.

[bear hunter]

Thanks for all the great info.  I think we will go at the end of the month. I will cal to see if there is any tent sites available. Thanks again for the info.