Fishing at Horse Lake, Douglas County, Oregon

• Overview

  Douglas County, Oregon, is where Horse Lake sits. The water sits 5,217 feet up. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. Most waters listed here for Douglas County are larger. For supplies, Oakridge is 46 miles out. The big place round here is Eugene, 79 miles distant. Nearby, in order: Teal Lake at 0.2 miles, Diamond Lake within 2.3 miles, West Lake at 5.3 miles, Skookum Lake within 9.6 miles and Stump Lake at 10 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Horse Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Survey and observation records for Douglas County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and tyee sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Horse Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 57°F in August and bottoms out near 27°F in December. The season stretches long at both ends here. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to fish here. Plan around that when you fish Horse Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. A boat ramp sits half a mile away, so trailered boats can get on. Fishing from a pier is possible half a mile away. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. A picnic site 0.9 miles off makes this workable with family in tow. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Teal Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Horse Lake.