Chopaka Lake Campground to Remain Open After Advocacy Effort
A popular fly fishing destination will remain accessible to the public after a coordinated letter-writing campaign by fly fishermen and Washington FFI helped persuade the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to keep the Chopaka Lake Campground in operation.
Credit goes to the Wenatchee Fly Fishers and Methow Valley Fly Fishers. The two clubs sounded the alarm about potential closure after the campground was listed among several sites under consideration for closure or reduced services as DNR grappled with budget cuts to its recreation program. Directors of the Washington Council of FFI joined the campaign and wrote directly to Dave Upthegrove, commission of public lands, urging him to sustain service at Chopaka. Several fly clubs wrote letters as well, including the Olympic Fly Fishers of Edmonds and Clark-Skamania Fly Fishers of Vancouver. Dozens of FFI members statewide added their voices by filing public comments and writing to the public lands commissioner.
Our efforts appear to have made a difference.
In announcing a revised list of service reductions, DNR confirmed that some previously threatened closures—including Chopaka Lake—will be avoided for now. The agency didn’t mention public comment in its decision published Wednesday April 22. But it probably made a difference. The statement credited a less severe final state budget than initially proposed, which allowed officials to scale back closure plans.
“We don’t want to be reducing recreation services, but legislative budget cuts—specifically to recreation maintenance—have forced these decisions,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Upthegrove. “The final budget came in less severe than earlier proposals, so we’re able to avoid some closures for now.”
Despite the positive outcome for Chopaka Lake users, DNR officials emphasized that the broader picture remains challenging. The agency’s recreation program has lost more than $8 million in funding over the past two years, including a more than 20% reduction in its operating budget in 2025 and additional cuts in 2026.
Those reductions have strained staffing and maintenance capacity across millions of acres of state-managed land. DNR currently employs about 60 field staff statewide—responsible for maintaining trails, restrooms, and campgrounds that serve hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Even with some closures averted, visitors can expect reduced services, including slower storm recovery, fewer stocked facilities, and less frequent maintenance.
For now, however, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts can celebrate a tangible win: access to Chopaka Lake—and the unique fishing experience it offers—will remain intact, thanks in part to a strong, organized response from the community that values it most.