There is a pleasant week ahead of us in Central Oregon, and with that and melting snow, things are slowly opening back up for camping and fishing.
The southern portion of the Cascade Lake Scenic Byway, for instance, is open from Deschutes Bridge to Crescent Cutoff Road, and Wickiup and Crane Prairie reservoirs are now open for fishing season.
So grab your hiking gear (and take along your spikes as there is still snow in certain areas), a pole or a tent and explore the areas of southern Deschutes County and beyond.
NOTE: Many trails and Forest Service roads may still have sections of snow, or be in poor conditions due to winter weather. Know your limits, go prepared and be prepared to turn around if conditions worsen.
Deschutes National Forest
Benham East Trailhead: Open
Benham West Trailhead: Open
Big River Boating Site: Open
Boyd Cave Day Use Area: Open
Fall River Headwaters: Open
Lava Cast Forest Trailhead: Open; patchy snow and ice
Lava Island Day Use: Open
Lava Lands Trails: Open; potential patchy snow and ice, visitor center is still closed; trails and parking area open
North Twin Boating Area: Open
Peter Skene Ogden Trailhead: Open; Paulina Creek restoration in progress, use caution to avoid machinery
Tenino Boating Site: Open
Wake Butte Trailhead: Open
Bureau of Land Management
Black Hills ACEC: Open; climbing and geocaching are prohibited
Christmas Valley Sand Dunes: Open
Crack-in-the-Ground: Open
Fossil Lake ACEC: Open; motor vehicles and fossil collecting prohibited
Lost Forest: Open, vehicles restricted to designated roads only
Fort Rock State Natural Area: Open; day-use hours 8 a.m,-8 p.m.; rock scrambling closed in southeast area to protect nesting falcons
La Pine State Park: Open, expect reduced services; winter day use hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; meeting hall is closed; reservations for cabins required; campfires permitted in designated rings only, no charcoal briquettes, candles, tiki torches or other devices that emit flames or embers.
Mt. Bachelor: Open; 68 inch base; spring hours in effect; Pine Marten, Skyliner, Summit and Northwest are only lifts currently running for remainder of the season.
National Forest sno-parks close for the season April 30
Deschutes National Forest
Fall River Campground: Open
Gull Point Campground: Open
North Twin Lake Campground: Open
Pringle Falls Campground: Open
West South Twin Campground: Open
Whitefish Horse Camp: Open
Catch and Release, Deschutes River, Lower Storm King: Riding well
All other trails reporting deep snow
Middle Flagline: Closed through Aug. 15
Tumalo Creek: Rideable snow
All other trails reporting deep snow
La Pine State Park: Riding well, deadfall reported
All other trails riding well
Cultus Lake Loop: Riding Well
All trails reporting deep snow
Updated at 8 a.m. April 29
Upper Deschutes at Benham Falls: 1,210 cfs; section is closed for the season to anglers until May 22.
Fall River: Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout; river was stocked with rainbows the first week of April, fair fishing and active hatches during the warmest part of the day; fly-fishing with barbless hooks only
Crane Prairie Reservoir: 86% full; brook trout, kokanee, largemouth bass, rainbow trout
Wickiup Reservoir: 51% full; kokanee, rainbow and brown trout, largemouth bass and catfish; North Wickiup boat ramp is open and docks have been installed; water is low but boats can be launched safely; five kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limit
East Lake: Brown trout, kokanee, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon; access road is closed but fishing is open year-round
Paulina Lake: Kokanee, rainbow and brown trout; good fishing for trout and kokanee
North Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; stocked with rainbow trout earlier in April, boating area has reopened
South Twin Lake: Rainbow trout; stocked with rainbow trout earlier in April
Davis Lake: Water level is low; rainbow trout and largemouth bass. Fly fishing only
Cultus Lake: Mackinaw, rainbow and brook trout
Diamond Lake: trout; now that the ice is off the lake, fishing has been excellent; if you catch trout 20 inches or longer, take them to the marina to be entered in a raffle; brown and tiger trout must be released to help controlling illegally introduced tui chub
Crescent Lake: 26% full; kokanee, mackinaw, rainbow and brown trout, whitefish and chub; lake level is low for this time of year, developed boat ramps are marginal for launching larger boats; one lake trout per day, 24-inch minimum
Odell Lake: Lake trout, kokanee, rainbow trout; bull trout must be released; 25 kokanee per day in addition to daily trout limit, one lake trout per day 24 inch minimum; Forest Service boat ramps are still closed, access is limited to resorts
Credit: Source link
