Fall Creek Lake | Willamette National Forest

A man-made Fall Creek Lake aka Fall Creek Reservoir is a part of Fall Creek Recreation Area which is famed for its ample waters bordered by the lush greenery of the Willamette National Forest. A rockfill structure, the Fall Creek Dam was built in 1966 to serve the purposes of water retention, flood damage prevention, irrigation, and a variety of recreation opportunities. With a storage size of 115,100 acre-feet, Fall Creek Lake controls runoff from 184 square miles of drainage area.

There are sturdy bridges over Fall Creek including the one near a small town of Jasper. The lake is a great swimming spot with cool waters that attract avid swimmers, divers, and kayakers, especially during summer heat. There are a number of campsites for those who wish to spend more than a few hours on the lake. Also, visitors can enjoy picnicking and fishing.

The 13.7 miles long Fall Creek National Recreation Trail along the stunning national forest, beautiful emerald pools, and rapids of Fall Creek are accessible year-round. There are plenty of things to see on the trail including old-growth Douglas firs, ferns, a small Slim Creek cave, rock outcrops, and a section of forest that was burnt in the 2003 fire. It is a drastic change of scenery from the lush forest to the burnt remnants but thankfully, the forest is recovering from the devastation.

Water Activities

Fall Creek Reservoir is a great destination for swimming, boating, kayaking, paddle boarding, water skiing, and jet-skiing.

Swimming is available on the lakeshore in one of the day-use areas and along Fall Creek:

Fall Creek Lake – North Shore Day Use
Fall Creek Lake - Lakeside 1 & 2
Fall Creek – Day Use Area
Fall Creek – Bedrock
Fall Creek – Big Pool
Fall Creek – Broken Bowl
Fall Creek – Clark Creek

Fishing

Fall Creek Reservoir open year-round for hatchery trout fishing. Typically, it is stocked in April by thousands of legal size and trophy trout. Hence, the best time for trout fishing is in April, May, and June.

Rockhounding

Rock and Mineral Collecting is not allowed in the vicinity of recreation areas of Fall Creek that are managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

North Shore Day-Use Area

Located near Fall Creek Dam on the north side of Fall Creek Lake, North Shore is a day-use area with both high-water and low-water boat ramps, picnic sites, and vault toilets.

Access allowed: May 1 - September 30
Services: Picnic sites, boat ramp, vault toilets
Day-use fees: None

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Free Meadow Day-Use Area

A day-use area, Free Meadow is located 2.8 miles east of the North Shore day-use site.

Access allowed: May 1 - September 30
Services: Picnic sites, boat ramp, bucket toilet
Day-use fees: None

Lakeside I and Lakeside II Day Use Areas

Lakeside I and Lakeside II Day Use Areas are located 0.4 miles of each other and approximately 5 miles east of the North Shore day-use site.

Access allowed: May 1- September 30
Services: Picnic sites, boat ramp, vault toilets
Day-use fees: None

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Winberry Day-Use Area

The largest day-use area, Winberry has a two-lane boat ramp, swimming area with a dock and beach, picnic sites with fire rings and barbecues, flush restrooms, and potable water.

Access allowed: May 1 - September 30
Services: Picnic sites, boat ramp, swim area, flush restrooms, drinking water
Day-use fees: Yes or Parking Permit for State Parks

Cascara Campground

Cascara Campground and Fisherman's Point Group Camp are located on the upper end of the Fall Creek Arm. The rustic campground with 39 campsites, vault toilets, potable water, a ramp, and swimming area.

Access allowed: May 1 - September 30
Services: Vault toilets, potable water, a ramp, and swim area
Accommodations: 39 campsites
Camping reservation: First-come, first-served

Fisherman's Point Group Camp

Located across the road from Cascara campground, Fisherman's Point Group Camp - a reservable RV group camp with potable water and portable toilets. The camp offers 8 sites up to 8 persons per site.

Access allowed: May 1 - September 30
Services: Vault toilets, potable water, a ramp, and swim area
Accommodations: 8 group sites
Phone (reservation): 800-452-5678

Open: Most day-use areas and campgrounds are open from May 1 to September 30
Managed by: Oregon State Parks and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Location: Fall Creek Recreation Area

Amenities: Picnic sites, boat ramps and moorages, swim area, restrooms, RV and tent campgrounds
Activities: Camping, hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, and boating
Day-use fees: Free except for Winberry Park
Dogs: Must be on a leash
Accommodations: Cascara campground, Fisherman's Point group campgrounds

Elevation: 839 feet (256 m)

Fall Creek Lake is located:

22 miles east of Eugene
81 miles northeast of Roseburg
83 miles southeast of Salem
127 miles southeast of Portland.

Type: Reservoir
Surface area: 763 ha (1,820 acres)
Depth: Varies throughout the year
Dam length: 5,100 ft (1,555 m)
Dam height: 205 ft (55 m)

2 Comments

Why is it that mineral and rock collecting is not allowed in this area? Is it because of the potential to be collecting native American “artifacts” instead of just rocks or minerals? Well I guess it’s the same thing, but it’s all I can think of. And so how about searching for rocks or minerals? Then once found, say I pick it up to observe it for a moment. A bit of catch and release. Maybe snap a picture. How about that? Is that within the parameters of these regulations? Can I reorganize the rocks by color ? As long as I leave them there? What if I come across some more recent native American artifacts??? Like the bottle caps or fishing lures left behind from the natives of maybe 10 years ago!
I’m gonna need an incredibly solid answer on this issue if I’m going to be able to accept that someone I’m this world actually believes they posses the authority to tell everyone that they may not pick up a rock of the damn ground! So let’s hear what you got!

Michael J Halsell

December 20, 2023


1. Author
  
  Rock collecting is prohibited within US Army Corps of Engineers property boundaries.
  
  To gather additional information, it is advisable to reach out to officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers. They can provide insights, details, and answers to any specific inquiries you may have. Initiating communication with the appropriate personnel will help ensure that you receive accurate and relevant information regarding your concerns or interests.
  
  v.harp
  
  December 21, 2023