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Fish Lake Hike

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide

Brown Mountain across Fish Lake (bobcat)
Big tree near the beginning of the Fish Lake Trail (bobcat)
Looking over the North Fork Little Butte Creek (bobcat)
Aspen at Doe Point, Fish Lake Trail (bobcat)
The trail along Fish Lake (bobcat) Courtesy: Gaia GPS
  • Start point: Fish Lake Trailhead
  • Ending point: Fish Lake CCC Shelter
  • Hike type: In and out
  • Distance: 6.6 miles
  • Elevation gain: 155 feet
  • High point: 4,670 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Seasons: Mid-spring to mid-fall
  • Family Friendly: Yes
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: Around the campgrounds

Contents

Hike Description

Construction began on a temporary Fish Lake Dam in 1902 at a convenient spot on the North Fork Little Butte Creek where the Brown Mountain Lava Flow provides some of the abutment. A smaller natural lake had existed here before the dam’s construction. In 1915, the Cascade Canal was built to carry water over the divide from Fourmile Lake, another reservoir, to Fish Lake, whose dam was then replaced by a permanent earthfill wall. Some of Fish Lake’s north shore was developed as a recreation area, while another section is given over to summer homes. The fairly level trail runs along the North Fork Little Butte Creek and then next to the shoreline of the lake itself, passing by a couple of campgrounds and a resort before connecting with the High Lakes Trail.

Hike past the trailhead kiosk, and enter an old-growth Douglas-fir forest next to the North Fork Little Butte Creek, which runs at very low levels by the end of summer. Also in the forest mix are grand fir, western white pine, sugar pine, and Pacific yew. An overgrown trail leads right to a stream gaging station on the North Fork. You can see the jumbled mass of the Brown Mountain Lava Flow across the creek, which is strewn with old logs. Soon, you’ll see a beaver dam spanning the stream and creating a tranquil reflecting pool. You’ll pass an impressive ponderosa pine and then come to an unsigned fork in the trail.

To visit the Fish Lake Dam, bear right and follow this path up to the dam wall itself, which has been much improved and fortified over the decades. There’s a good view of the Brown Mountain volcano from here, and in summer, you’ll see the reduced shoreline of Fish Lake dotted with old stumps. You can make it back to the regular trail by following the dam wall towards a summer house. Before the end of the dam, drop down to your left and cross a small basin of cemented boulders. A trail leads into the woods from here and shortly connects with the Fish Lake Trail.

Turn right, and hike through an understory of chinquapin, hazel, boxwood, and Oregon grape. You’ll see a few more large firs before you enter an old clearcut, where the regrowth now has reached at least 60 feet. The trail crosses an old track, and soon you’re back in old growth with a dense undergrowth of chinquapin and yew. Cross a road which forks for private tracts G and H. Keep straight at an unofficial trail junction, and cross a 50-yard plank boardwalk. The trail descends and switchbacks twice before you begin to get glimpses of Fish Lake through the conifers.

Then you’ll begin to get views of the stump-lined shore of Fish Lake and the hump of Brown Mountain. Many short paths lead to the shore. At a signed T-junction, bear right to skirt the campground at Doe Point, hiking through a small stand of aspen. You’ll pass a small shed and then above a boat ramp parking area. The trail runs to the right of a restroom building before crossing the boat ramp’s access road. Soon you’ll fetch up at the historic Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) shelter (1936) at the Fish Lake Campground. The route passes through the campground from here, so unless you’re planning on a longer hike using the High Lakes Trail, this is a good spot to turn back.


Fees, Regulations, Facilities, etc.

  • Campgrounds with drinking water and restrooms near the trail
  • Share trail with bicycles and horses

Maps

  • Maps: Hike Finder
  • Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Upper Rogue Basin
  • Siskiyou Mountain Club: Sky Lakes Wilderness South
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: High Cascades Ranger District
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Rogue River National Forest

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this destination

  • 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Southern Oregon by William L. Sullivan
  • Where the Trails Are: Ashland – Medford And Beyond by Bill Williams
  • Oregon’s Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill

More Links


Page Contributors

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Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.