Attractions: Lakes & Rivers

When the Bowman Dam went online in 1961, it created Prineville Reservoir on the Crooked River near the Ochoco Mountains. Today, that manmade lake is home to the bustling Prineville Reservoir State Park. The reservoir covers more than 3,000 acres and is 15 miles long—providing plenty of sun-kissed fun in Central Oregon’s high desert. Anglers…

The Crooked River is one of the iconic waterways in Central Oregon, and its winding path through the region’s high desert collides with top recreation opportunities all year long. The 125-mile-long Crooked River begins amid forests of juniper and sagebrush in the remote and rugged reaches of sunny Central Oregon. From there, it flows into…

When you’re looking for a little solitude, head to the spring-fed Fall River—which sits southwest of Sunriver and northwest of La Pine, surrounded on both sides by stately stands of old-growth ponderosa pine. Fall River is most popular with anglers who enjoy fly fishing in its clear, cold waters that maintain constant flows and steady…

Sitting in the foothills of the Cascade Range and surrounded by a lush forest, Suttle Lake offers an idyllic mountain retreat in all four seasons. In late September and October, the vine maples surrounding Suttle Lake come alive in hues of orange, red, and yellow as fall foliage adds pops of color to the broader…

Paulina Lake sits within the collapsed caldera of the still-active Newberry Volcano—not unlike its more famous cousin, Crater Lake—and offers summertime adventures along seemingly every square inch of its forested banks. (Just next door within the caldera, separated by a jagged lava flow and old-growth forest, is the smaller East Lake. Both pools are filled…

Todd Lake is the first pond that visitors come to when following the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway out of Bend—and the highest-elevation lake along the route—and offers a dramatic introduction to the region’s natural wonders. Just a half hour from downtown, Todd Lake is a beautiful destination in its own right—but also makes a popular…