Keechelus Lake, Reservoir in Kittitas County, Washington, United States.

Keechelus Lake is a natural lake in Kittitas County, Washington, about 50 miles southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass. It is the westernmost of three large lakes near Interstate 90, which runs along its eastern shoreline. The lake is the source of the Yakima River and serves as a storage reservoir for the Yakima Project, with its capacity controlled by the 128-foot-high Keechelus Dam, an earthfill structure built in 1917.

The lake became a reservoir in 1917 when the Keechelus Dam was built to supply water for the Yakima Project. This transformation allowed water management across the dry region and reshaped the landscape permanently.

The name comes from a Native American language and means "few fish," contrasting with the nearby Kachess Lake which translates to "more fish." This naming reflects how local peoples once observed and described the differences in fish populations between the two waters.

The lake is easy to reach via Interstate 90, which runs directly past it, making access straightforward for visitors. Those wanting to fish should check current catch limits before heading out, as regulations change depending on the season.

The Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension reached Tacoma in 1909, and its 2.25-mile Snoqualmie Tunnel opened in 1914, heading due west from Hyak at about 2,600 feet. The line was abandoned in 1980 and is now the Iron Horse State Park rail trail. Near the lake's northwest shore stood the Milwaukee Ski Bowl, built in 1937 and run by the railroad until 1950.