Lakes in Oregon: Where to Swim, Fish & Explore

1. Applegate Lake

Surrounded by the magnificent Rogue River National Forest in southwestern Oregon's Jackson County, Applegate Lake has long been hailed as an angler's paradise with an average depth of 85 feet. The cold water is home to a wide variety of fish, including coho salmon, chinook, rainbow trout, and steelhead trout. Situated 23 miles southwest of Medford, Applegate Lake is named after pioneers Lindsay and Jesse Applegate, who bravely crossed the mouth of the Applegate River while paving the Southern Emigrant Trail of the 1840s. Applegate Lake's hiking trails boast breathtaking views of the hauntingly beautiful Collings Mountain, Kinney Mountain, and Stein Butte, which surround the lake.

2. Cascade Lakes

Cascade Lakes is made up of nearly 100 natural lakes scattered along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway in Central Oregon, which begins in Bend and winds its way through the mountains for 66 miles. The lakes are best seen while you are backcountry camping and hiking or on leisurely day hikes. Either way, you’ll get breathtaking views of Broken Top, Mount Bachelor, and South Sister lakes along the way. Some of the lakes were created by glacial gouging and others by volcanic action under the glacier, and they offer an array of outdoor recreational activities such as fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, water-skiing, and wakeboarding. Land-based activities include hiking, mountain biking, camping, backpacking, and relaxing on one the many beaches along the lake's shorelines.

Cascade Lakes are 46 min (37.2 miles via US-97 S and NF-40) from Bend.

3. Crater Lake

Resting on the crest of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the country with a depth of 1,942 feet. Created over 7,500 years ago when the top of Mount Mazama collapsed, Crater Lake is renowned for its clear, deep blue water, which you can see from one of several hiking trails around the park. The centerpiece of Crater Lake National Park has two islands within the lake that you can visit and explore on sightseeing boat tours during the summer between June and September. Visitors to the lake can enjoy swimming, scuba diving, and fishing on the lake, as well as camping, hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing in the surrounding the lake.

Crater Lake is 5 hours (244.1 miles via I-5 S and OR-58) from Portland, OR.

4. Upper Klamath Lake

Stretching for more than 30 miles, Upper Klamath Lake is the most significant freshwater lake in the State of Oregon with a surface area of nearly 25,000 hectares. Nestled in the Klamath Basin, the massive lake rests 4,133 feet above sea level in south-central Oregon and is surrounded by the majestic mountains forested hills of the state's Southern tourism region, which include the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex in the north. The lake is a popular destination for boating, fishing, and paddling as well as wildlife watching in the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, which has been protecting the marshes and waters of Klamath Lake for the past 90 years.

Upper Klamath Lake is 1 hr 15 min from Crater Lake (53.6 miles via Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway and OR-62 E). If you are camping in the Crater Lake area, you can enjoy a day trip to the Upper Klamath Lake.

5. Detroit Lake

Conveniently located in Oregon's Willamette Valley tourism region, Detroit Lake is a 1,400-hectare freshwater reservoir that stores water for the cities of Detroit and Salem and offers an array of excellent recreational activities, which include boating, camping, kayaking, and swimming. Constructed in 1953 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers by damming of the North Santiam River, Detroit Lake has a maximum depth of 440 feet, which fluctuates as much as 25 feet per day. As such, the lake has specially constructed boat ramps to cater for this fluctuation. Detroit Lake has two state lakes resting on the north side of the reservoir, the Detroit Lake State Park and the Mongold State Park, as well as seven different campgrounds dotted around the perimeter.

6. Devils Lake

An enchanting gem in the heart of Oregon's attractive Lincoln City, the less-than-sweetly named Devils Lake is the 685-acre freshwater lake that was formed by a blockade of dunes from a nearby beach in approximately 14,000 BC. Situated in a unique location on Oregon's Pacific Ocean coast, Devil’s Lake is connected to the ocean by the D River and offers excellent fishing for coho salmon, grass carp, and rainbow trout. Surrounded by riparian life, creeks, beaches, wetlands, forests, and oceans, Devils Lake is an area of outstanding biodiversity, and nature-lovers will delight in the wealth of bird species. You might see coots, common grebes, cormorants, egrets, and various species of ducks.

7. East Lake

One of two lakes that are situated in the collapsed caldera of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument within the Deschutes National Forest, East Lake is a 420-hectare lake and a popular recreation destination. The higher of the two lakes in the crater, East Lake has beautiful blue-green water and a sandy beach where visitors come to relax, picnic, and swim. You can also enjoy a variety of water-based activities such as boating, kayaking, canoeing, and fishing for brown trout, rainbow trout, and Atlantic salmon. The snowmelt and spring-fed lake is home to the East Lake Campground at the very south end of the lake, which features 29 sites, boat ramp, and a lovely beach.

8. Emigrant Lake

Nestled between two mountain ranges and two national forests, Emigrant Lake is surrounded by some of Oregon's most beautiful scenery and offers a variety of outdoor recreational activities, from hiking and camping to boating, fishing, and swimming. Created by the impoundment of Emigrant Creek in 1924, the lake is part of the Talent Division of the Rogue River Basin Project, and it stores flood waters to irrigate the 15,000 acres of farmland in the region. The horseshoe-shaped lake is encircled by the Emigrant Lake Recreation Area, which features a campground, a 280-foot twin flume waterslide with showers, a large picnic area, and a concession stand.

9. Fern Ridge Lake

The largest of thirteen flood control reservoirs in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Fern Ridge Lake has 9,000 acres of water and is the premier recreational destination in the region. Situated just 12 miles west of Eugene in Lane County, Fern Ridge Lake has several well developed public recreation areas that offer an array of activities such as boating, camping, fishing, hunting, and wildlife viewing. Constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1941 for flood control, irrigation, and water storage, Fern Ridge Lake is fed by the Long Tom River, which has several small coves and inlets that make for tranquil fishing spots and places for relaxing with a picnic.

10. Fishhawk Lake

Fishhawk Lake is a private reservoir that was developed exclusively for luxurious lakefront living with spectacular natural scenery. Built in 1967 as a focal point for a deluxe residential development near the quaint towns of Birkenfeld and Mist, Fishhawk Lake blends the beauty of nature with a small lake, a network of hiking trails, and an array of bird and wildlife for residents to enjoy. The lake is stocked with a variety of fish and provides excellent fishing, as well as other water-based activities such as canoeing, kayaking, paddle boating, row boating, and pontooning. Many of the residences have private swimming holes and their docks.