Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife trucks released 7,000 rainbow trout into Fish Lake on October 5, 2026. The Forest Service roads that lead to the lake's east-end shoreline have been closed since September 3, and they stay closed through October 31 unless the order is lifted sooner. Between now and Halloween, the public way onto the lake for its best fall fishing is the Cove Resort on Chiwawa Loop Road.
The plant came about three weeks early
The WDFW stocking table for Fish Lake shows two loads from the Chelan PUD Hatchery on October 5, one of 4,200 fish and one of 2,800, both sized at 2.8 fish per pound. Here is how that compares with last fall.
| Fall plant | Dates | Rainbows released | Fish per pound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | October 24 and October 27 | 6,670 | 2.9 |
| 2026 | October 5 | 7,000 | 2.8 |
The two years put in about the same number of fish. The difference is timing. Last year's trout arrived in the last week of October. This year's have been in the water since the first week. That timing matters because of what else happens at Fish Lake in October.
Why October is the month that counts
WDFW's notes on the lake say stocked kokanee and rainbow fishing is best in spring and fall. The agency's prospect notes on the same page explain why. Rainbows that made it through spring move back toward shore as the water cools, and some lakes get a second plant in fall that raises catch rates further. Fish Lake now has both: holdover fish moving in close and 7,000 new ones on top of them.
The other species are moving too:
- Kokanee. WDFW says the kokanee season usually runs April through October, and adults start leaving lakes for spawning tributaries in late October and early November. Fishing can pick up a little in fall as they move shallower. Kokanee fry have been stocked at Fish Lake each spring since 2020 and now show up as catchable fish up to 12 inches.
- Largemouth bass. Catches improve in fall as the water cools and the weeds die back.
- Yellow perch. Catches drop off in fall as perch move offshore, which leaves them mostly to anglers in boats until the lake freezes.
WDFW also asks anglers to keep as many largemouth and yellow perch as the daily limit allows, because both compete with the kokanee and trout. Two-pole fishing is allowed on this lake.
Put together, the stretch from now until the kokanee leave in late October is the busiest part of the fall at Fish Lake. That is the same stretch the closure order covers.
What the fire order closes at the east end
WDFW describes public access to Fish Lake in two parts. Most of it goes through the Cove Resort, a private concession approved by the Forest Service. The rest is limited walk-in shore access on Forest Service land at the east end, on both the north and south shores, reached by Chiwawa River Road and National Forest Road 6202.
The Little Giant Fire closure order, Order No. 06-17-07-2026-40, took effect September 3 and runs through October 31, 2026. Its lists include everything the east-end walk-in access depends on:
- Chiwawa River Road, FSR 6200
- FSR 6202
- FSR 6202-124
- Fish Lake North Campground
The Forest Service current conditions page, updated October 9, lists Chiwawa River Road as closed under that order in a road table dated October 2. The same page also lists a "Fish Lake" road, number 4330, as open. That entry belongs to the Fish Lake near Cle Elum in a different ranger district. It says nothing about the roads at this lake.
The order covers roads, recreation sites, campgrounds and trails on Forest Service land. Chiwawa Loop Road, the resort's address, is not on its list of closed Forest Service roads. The order stays in effect until October 31 unless it is rescinded sooner. The Wenatchee River Ranger District is the contact listed on the order, so check with the district before heading for the east shore in early November.
The Cove dock carries the rest of October
With the east end closed, the Cove Resort at Fish Lake is the public way onto the water for the busiest weeks of the fall. The resort is at 22494 Chiwawa Loop Road and is run by owners Scott and Nadine West. It offers a launch, dock fishing, a fishing-supply store, and rentals of 14- and 16-foot motorboats, rowboats and 20-foot pontoons. The phone number is 509-763-3130.
The resort's posted rates are $10 a day to launch a boat, $5 for an adult dock-fishing ticket and $3 for a child under 12. The resort notes that prices can change. WDFW's lake page lists a single $5 fee for both launching and dock fishing, so go by whatever the resort quotes when you call.
That call matters for another reason. The resort's website does not post fall or winter hours or a season closing date. Before you drive over with a boat on the trailer, phone the Cove and confirm the launch and dock are open that day.
A boat makes a bigger difference now than in summer. Perch have moved offshore, and kokanee are best in the weeks before they leave to spawn. With the east-end shore closed, a rented 14-footer or your own boat off the Cove launch reaches more of the lake than anyone casting from the bank.
Last winter, the dock kept producing trout
The Cove dock has a track record well past October. In his January 9, 2026 Fishing Magician column in The Exchange, Dave Graybill wrote that trout fishing at Fish Lake was "still very good for nice sized trout." He described a 14-inch trout caught by his group and a 16-incher landed by another angler on the dock. The rig that worked came from the resort owner, as Graybill told it:
"To catch the trout at Fish Lake right now, put a weight on the bottom, two hooks above that and put cooked and dyed shrimp on the hooks. It works!"
In that same column, Graybill saw a skim of ice at the Cove and judged the lake to be a long way from ice fishing. By his February 12, 2026 column, a warm spell had changed things again. Anglers on the dock had broken up the ice at its edge to reach trout, and Graybill used the visit to remind readers to check conditions before ever stepping onto the ice.
WDFW lists Fish Lake as good for ice fishing and calls perch through the ice its most popular winter fishery. The agency's ice fishing guidance says ice conditions are unpredictable and not monitored. It advises staying off the ice until it is confirmed at least four inches thick, and not fishing alone. Last season showed how that plays out here. The dock produced trout in January and February, while the ice beyond it stayed unreliable.
Planning the trip around Tuesday and Wednesday
Fish Lake's closest supply stop is Midway at 14193 Chiwawa Loop Road. Its current hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The store is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, but the fuel pumps run 24/7. Lake Wenatchee Info reported in June that longtime nearby cabin owners Jamie and Rebecca Madonna took over Midway and reopened it with 24-hour pumps for regular, ethanol-free 91-octane and diesel.
Down in Plain, the Old Mill Cafe opens at 6:30 a.m. It closes at 3 p.m. on Sunday and Monday and at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Like Midway, it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For a Tuesday or Wednesday on the dock, bring your own coffee. Gas is available any day of the week.
Winter is already being sold nearby. Plain Valley Ski Trails is offering 2026–27 passes at early-bird prices through October 31, the same day the closure order is set to expire.
If you own a cabin on Fish Lake and are curious what it is worth this fall, Team Stoddard knows these docks, roads and seasons from living here. Get your instant home valuation, and we'll help you make sense of the number with the lake you fish in mind.
