River Forest Lake Fishing in Clackamas County, Oregon

• Overview

  Look for River Forest Lake in Clackamas County, Oregon. The ground round it is dry hill. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. It lies lower than most water we list in Oregon. Nearest place of any size is Oak Grove, 0.7 miles away. Further out sit Lake Oswego (1 mile) and Milwaukie (2.4 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on River Forest Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public occurrence data for Clackamas County names Coho salmon, rainbow trout and Chinook salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. River Forest Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 67°F and December near 40°F. Warm months push fish deep; cool months bring them back. March through May is the strongest run, with autumn a second stretch. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. At River Forest Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. A pier or jetty stands half a mile away, which helps on a crowded bank. There are picnic tables recorded roughly half a mile off. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Kellogg Lake, 1.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For River Forest Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.