GMU 560 Lewis River Hunting, Washington
GMU 560 (Lewis River): 90% public land, habitat grade C+, elk ★★★★☆, 740 mi².
Tap anywhere on the map to move the pin, then hit Analyze to open that exact spot in HuntVantage for a live 0–100 score with per-species ratings.
HuntVantage habitat grade
Grade distribution of the habitat cells inside the unit — higher-scoring cells are the pockets worth scouting first. HuntVantage weighs cover, water, food, hunting pressure, and habitat diversity from public land-cover and land-ownership data.
Per-species ratings
Overall grade measures general habitat; these species ratings re-weight the same factors for each animal’s needs — the number that matters for a species-specific hunt.
Public land & access
90% of GMU 560 is public land; 90% is public and open-access.
Overwhelmingly public — Gifford Pinchot National Forest up the Lewis River, with minor DNR ground.
Ownership from PAD-US; a cell is one ~0.46 km habitat hexagon. Verify boundaries and access on the ground — inholdings and seasonal closures aren’t shown here.
Hunting prospects
General + draw permits
GMU 560 (Lewis River) follows the Lewis River drainage deep into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest of the southern Cascades — a big, almost entirely public elk unit. Hunt the timber-and-opening edges, old burns, and roadless benches, and let pressure push elk into the quiet pockets. Confirm general spike and permit seasons with WDFW.
Scout the best spots in this unit
The highest-scoring public open-access habitat cells in GMU 560. Open any one in HuntVantage to see its live score and per-species breakdown.
Nearby units & guides
Sources: wdfw.wa.gov · wdfw.wa.gov · geodataservices.wdfw.wa.gov. HuntVantage habitat grades are independent of WDFW.