Crater Lake gets the postcards and Trillium Lake gets the Instagram crowds, but anglers in the know point their trucks toward Wickiup Reservoir instead. Sitting in the Deschutes National Forest about an hour southwest of Bend, this man-made lake is the second-largest artificial lake in Oregon — and, by many accounts, the best place in the state to hook a serious brown trout.
The reservoir was born in 1949 when a 2.6-mile dam went up across the Deschutes River. Today it covers more than 10,000 surface acres, making it the biggest lake in Deschutes National Forest. Because it's ringed entirely by public land, access is unusually generous: you can fish, boat, windsurf, water ski, swim, or just watch for birds and wildlife along miles of shoreline. It's also an easy detour off the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, one of Oregon's prettiest drives, lined with alpine lakes.
The fishing is the headline act. Brown trout here average over five pounds, and fish pushing 20 pounds are genuinely on the cards — numbers that put Wickiup in a league few Oregon lakes can match. Rainbow trout run large too, and kokanee salmon are abundant through the summer. The season runs from late April to the end of October. Come late summer, the kokanee push upriver to spawn, which local outfitters say overlaps with the year's best trophy trout window; the season opener in spring can be nearly as productive. Shore fishing works well early and late in the season, but in high summer most of the action happens from a boat. There are seven boat ramps handling motorized and non-motorized craft, and kayaks, canoes, and float tubes can launch straight from shore. Anyone fishing aged 18 or over needs an Oregon fishing license; 12- to 17-year-olds need a youth license.
Overnight options are appropriately old-school. The name "wickiup" refers to a traditional Native American shelter, and the area served as a fall camp for local indigenous people — fitting, then, that five campgrounds line the shore, mostly on the west and north sides. None offer water or electric hookups, but all connect to a boat launch, and reservations should be booked online. Gull Point is the biggest with 80 tent and RV sites, plus a dump station, two day-use areas, and fish cleaning stations. West South Twin has 23 sites, flush toilets, and drinking water, with bonus access to South Twin Lake. Sheep Bridge (23 sites, near where the Deschutes River enters the lake) and North Davis Creek (14 sites) both have potable water, while the 24-site Reservoir Campground requires you to bring your own supply.
Getting there is straightforward: Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) is about 20 minutes northeast of Bend, then it's a scenic hour's drive along the byway. If you've still got energy left, Cultus Lake — a boating and fishing spot under 30 minutes away — makes a worthwhile add-on. For travellers who'd rather fight a trout than a crowd, Wickiup is Central Oregon's low-key winner.
