Oregon · Hiking

Fish Lake

8.0 mi
round trip
1,450 ft
climb
4,845 ft
high point
Out and back
route
May–Oct
best months

Is Fish Lake open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in High Cascades Ranger District. It doesn't name Fish Lake, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · High Cascades Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Fish Lake is an 8-mile out-and-back hike in the High Cascades Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests in southern Oregon. The trail rises from about 4,626 feet to a high point of 4,845 feet, with the steepest stretch at around 3.5 miles, where the grade reaches 14 percent. The Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. At the Howard Prairie Dam weather station, about 10 miles away, July and August average highs near 79°F with only two or three wet days a month, while winter brings frequent snow and highs in the mid-30s. The hike is rated hard and is not accessible. Bikes and horses are allowed. North Fork Campground sits just 0.1 mile from the trailhead, and the Fish Lake Snomo hike is under a mile away. Fish Lake Campground and the Robinson Butte Loop Snomo hike are both within about a mile and a half.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · May–Oct

    Best time to visit Fish Lake

    Best months: May–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      36° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    2. Feb

      40° / 23°

      14 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 26°

      16 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 29°

      13 wet · 4 snow

    5. May

      60° / 36°

      11 wet · 1 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 40°

      5 wet

    7. Jul

      79° / 47°

      3 wet

    8. Aug

      79° / 46°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      72° / 40°

      4 wet

    10. Oct

      58° / 33°

      8 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      42° / 28°

      13 wet · 5 snow

    12. Dec

      35° / 23°

      15 wet · 9 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Howard Prairie Dam, OR, 10.3 mi away at 4,567 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

    Closures we've recorded since August 2026

    • Stage 2 Public Use Fire Restrictions (Forest-wide)

      Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests · Order dated September 4, 2026; seen Sep 3, 2026 → lifted Oct 28, 2026 · Forest Service

    • Fish Lake Boat Ramp Closure

      High Cascades Ranger District · Order dated July 6, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026, no lift recorded · Forest Service

    • Stage 3 Public Use Fire Restrictions (Forest-wide)

      Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forests · Order dated July 17, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Sep 3, 2026 · Forest Service

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

FISH LAKE SNOMOPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

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Billie Creek NaturePhoto: Holzwerk, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

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