Chapman Lake (146 acres)
Chapman Lake is a bent hourglass-shaped lake that is 1.5 miles long, 160 feet at its deepest making it the deepest lake in Spokane County, and fed with water via Rock Creek. There are also lava vents at the bottom of the lake that are reported being over 1000' deep or more. This lake is stocked with Kokanee and also boasts plenty of wildlife. The land around the lake is mostly uninhabited other than a closed old resort on private land and a few other private landowners (obey all signs-no trespassing). The Public land that gives access to this lake is jointly owned by Spokane County open space corridor land and via the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the Southwest end of the lake. There is currently no camping allowed on either the open space corridor and DNR lands but one can go to Williams lake just a couple miles away and tent camp or park one's RV at any of the 2 resorts for a fee. Directions: One can access the lake first via the open space corridor land by parking along S. Cheney Place Road just south of the T interactive where the road meets S. Rock Lake Rd. (S. Cheney Rd. makes a sharp turn left/east). A good sign you are in the right place to park and begin your hikes is off to your right (South) as you travel east on the road (about over half-mile after the intersection) you will see a gravel road called S. Babb Rd. Park along the road near this gravel road entrance where your vehicle is totally off the paved road. Going further east will put you in an area of private no trespassing land. There are no trails to the lake so it's a steep hike initially with lots of brush and rocks to navigate through. Watch out for rattlesnakes and check your cloths and body for ticks. Its about a 1-mile hike to the lake if you could go straight north, but more like 2 miles due to the terrain you will have to traverse and to get to an area of the lake that could be considered accessible. The lake is surrounded primarily by cliffs, so it can be difficult to hike down to the waters edge, so it's near impossible to portage and launch the smallest of kayak into this lake (possible for the determined). A lot of the shore line is blocked by aquatic plant life and mud. Best time to access the lake is when water levels are high during late spring or early summer (also tick season). This lake is considered dangerous to access due to the before mentioned terrain and the rattlesnakes. ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK. The Washington Department of Fish and Game is working on acquiring the old resort with boat launch, hatchery, etc., Estimated time to finish new boat launch and access road is sometime in 2022 (see proposal below via WDFW pdf and pics below, and forum link with discussing). Maps: To view the printable map click on the map pic below. Save the map on your computer to print. To view a google map visit google.com/maps and type in Chapman Lake, Spokane County, WA or Cheney WA. Then scroll down the map until you see the lake.
ACCESSIBILITY: PARKING... NO accessible parking spaces. Gravel paved parking along roadway. Make sure to be totally off the paved road; PATHS/TRAILS... None; RESTROOMS/FACILITIES… None; SENSORY... None. DOCKS/LAUNCHES/PLATFORMS… None; DIRECT WATER ACCESS… None; TRANSFER SYSTEMS... None; CAMPING... No; O.T.H.E.R… Oddities/Barriers: Hike in with steep terrain. Rattlesnakes present; Terrain: Steep hills of 5-12% plus grades. Many cliffs; H2O/Water: Water normally murky. Water temperature in the summer can be around 60 to 70 degree; Environmental Conditions: High winds and hot temperatures in the summer; Resources: Food, drinks, and gas at nearby Klinks Williams Lake Resort.
Click on map to enlarge or to copy and print
WDFW Chapman Lake Proposal (pic 1, 2 3). Click on pic to Enlarge.
 |
| Click on map to enlarge or to copy and print |
WDFW Chapman Lake Proposal (pic 1, 2 3). Click on pic to Enlarge.
Official Boat Launch plans to be completed sometime in 2019
2017 article about the development of Chapman Lake, and current access... http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/apr/21/chapman-lake-public-access-remains-limited/
April 10, 2016 at 1:55 AM: It is truly a shame that this lake is not currently readily accessible to the public. I have fished this lake since 2002 until 2011 when new owners of the resort blocked access to the public. The ONLY way to fish this lake currently is to hike in over DNR land as mentioned in the article. I have plans of doing that this spring or summer. I will not be denied my right to fish this lake just because some private landowner has the only easy access. DNR land access is permissible, but will be challenging. So be it. I will fish this lake again regardless of the effort I must put in to do so.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to fishing this lake again before I die. It's been so long........since the public has had accommodating access to it.
ReplyDelete