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Oregon · Fishing
Oakridge sits at the edge of the Willamette National Forest, and the fishing around town leans heavily toward high-country lakes rather than rivers.
12 spotsUpdated dailyFree to access
View on mapFishing · 12 spots
Oakridge sits at the edge of the Willamette National Forest, and the fishing around town leans heavily toward high-country lakes rather than rivers. The listings here are all lake fishing, spread across a cluster of alpine and subalpine waters that include Gold Lake, Happy Lake, Midnight Lake, Torrey Lake, Moolack Lake, Lake Chetlo, and the Eddeeleo and Rigdon lake chains. Most of these sit at elevation and require some hiking to reach, so you're not pulling up to a paved boat launch. Gold Lake is the most accessible of the bunch and sees the most traffic. The Eddeeleo lakes — upper and lower — and the Rigdon and Quinn lakes reward the extra miles with less pressure. Gold Lake Bog is a separate feature from Gold Lake itself and fishes differently given the shallower, weedy character typical of bog environments. Seasons matter here: snow closes access roads into late spring, and the best fishing window generally runs from late June through September. None of the waters in this listing set are designated gold medal or wild trout waters, so expectations should be calibrated accordingly — these are solid mountain lake fisheries, not destination trophy waters.
Most of the forest roads leading to the higher lakes around Oakridge don't clear reliably until late May or June, and some years it's closer to late June after a heavy snow winter. Check current road conditions with the Middle Fork Ranger District before you drive out, especially for the Eddeeleo, Rigdon, and Quinn lake areas.
A float tube or small inflatable makes a real difference on most of these lakes, particularly Gold Lake and the Eddeeleo lakes where the productive water is often away from the bank. Shore fishing is possible but you'll be limited to casting range, and some shorelines are brushy or boggy. Pack-in inflatables are worth the weight if you're hiking to the more remote lakes.
Lake Chetlo
~6 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Odell Lake
~19 min drive
Easy
Hosmer Lake
~41 min drive
Moderate
North Umpqua River - Steamboat
~1h 12m drive
Hard
Upper Eddeeleo Lake
~8 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Crane Prairie Reservoir
~24 min drive
Easy
Gold Lake Bog
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Gold Lake
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Lower Eddeeleo Lake
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Lower Rigdon Lake
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Upper Quinn Lake
~12 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Torrey Lake
~12 min drive
A worthwhile stop near OR.
Also worth it near here
A light to medium spinning setup or a 4- to 5-weight fly rod covers most situations. Small spinners, PowerBait, and dry flies or soft hackles all produce depending on conditions. The bog environment at Gold Lake Bog calls for weedless rigs or flies that won't foul on surface vegetation.
Distances vary, but plan on at least a few miles of trail for the upper and more remote lakes in this group. Midnight Lake and Upper Eddeeleo Lake in particular are not roadside stops. Bring a current Willamette National Forest map or a GPS track, since trailhead signage can be inconsistent.
Yes, a valid Oregon fishing license is required for anyone 12 and older. Some high lakes in the Willamette National Forest carry special regulations around gear type or catch limits that differ from statewide defaults. Check the current Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations for the specific lake you're targeting before you go, since rules can vary lake by lake.
