Hiking lakes or streams

[PhoFish]

Hey OFF members! Just looking for a bit of advice. Note: I picked up and have read through a lot of the "Fishing in Oregon" book but it is hard to narrow down where to go.

I am looking to hike in to a lake or stream and fish for trout. Though I would like to be successful, my main goal is to just get out fishing in this new state of Oregon with my 14 year old son.

I saw threads that pointed to Mt. Hood - do i need permits there?

Also @troutdude said in a different thread that I should look at coastal streams to look for cutthroat, so I have been trying to look there as well.. using the Fishing in Oregon book and All Trails to try to find hiking trails to streams - feels like I am breaking down a PhD. dissertation....

I will just use spinners since that is what I am most familiar with and again, I am just looking for a lake or stream or whatever that I can hike into and fish... and not overnight as I don't really know how to camp either haha.

 

[troutdude]

Here's a list of high elevation lakes, which are stocked every other year. Perhaps this will help.

https://myodfw.com/articles/stocking-oregons-hike-lakes

 

[Ballgame]

I'm more familiar with the lakes east of Salem. Duffy lake is a nice 3.5 mile hike in that has pretty good fishing, from there you can hike east about a mile or so and hit Santiam lake (head waters of the North Santiam river) good fishing or you can head up the ridge to the 8 lake basin all of them are stocked every couple years I believe... Of course there is always Marion Lake as well (2/3 miles in), I always do better on the east side of the lake if you can bush whack your way around to that side.

 

[PhoFish]

Ballgame, awesome information.. never even considered going south, but it looks like the drive to the Duffy trail head is just slightly longer than to some of the Mt Hood lakes - Harriet, etc..

I never thought about this until I was in the final stages of planning to go to Harriet tomorrow.. but another user mentioned rough roads.. is that the case getting to the Duffy trail head? I only have a Civic.. low clearance of course.

The hike in looks beautiful and i was able to locate it on all trails to get the exact trail map!

Thank you for your help

 

[Ballgame]

Ballgame, awesome information.. never even considered going south, but it looks like the drive to the Duffy trail head is just slightly longer than to some of the Mt Hood lakes - Harriet, etc..

I never thought about this until I was in the final stages of planning to go to Harriet tomorrow.. but another user mentioned rough roads.. is that the case getting to the Duffy trail head? I only have a Civic.. low clearance of course.

The hike in looks beautiful and i was able to locate it on all trails to get the exact trail map!

Thank you for your help

The road is paved almost the whole way there. So you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[troutdude]

Marion Lake is a great place. I've been there 3 times. It's a one hour uphill strenuous hike to get into the lake. You will also walk right past Lake Ann, on the way up. Which holds nice brookies too.

Word to the wise though...Marion Creek is LEGALLY CLOSED and is OFF limits, because it is PROTECTED SPAWNING HABITAT. However the lake is open and holds nice fish.

 

[PhoFish]

oh very nice! I have learned more OFF this site during the past week than I thought possible. The amount of information I have makes it hard to choose what to do.. but I suppose that is not a bad problem to have.

I found Marion Lake trail - looks like only 850 feet or so elevation gain and its a loop trail. A bit of a drive - are the roads paved all the way there? Still haven't gone to Harriet because I am concerned about the forest roads and needing a high clearance vehicle.

 

[troutdude]

You won't have any issues getting to Harriet. You do not need a high clearance rig. I do not know if the roads are paved to Marion. My last trip there, was in 2000.