Hosmer Lake is a natural

body of water A body of water or waterbody (often spelled water body) is any significant accumulation of water on the surface of Earth or another planet. The term most often refers to oceans, seas, and lakes, but it includes smaller pools of water such a ...

in the central Cascade Range in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. Nearly above sea level, the lake is part of a volcanic landscape about west-southwest of Bend along the

Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway The Cascades Lakes Scenic Byway (Forest Route 46) is a National Scenic Byway in central Oregon in the United States. It runs for in the rugged country of Deschutes and Klamath counties on the east side of the Cascade Range. It offers partic ...

. In 1962, the United States Board on Geographic Names changed the name from ''Mud Lake'' to ''Hosmer Lake'' in honor of Paul Hosmer, a naturalist from Bend. Hosmer Lake is about west of Mount Bachelor in

Deschutes National Forest The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National F ...

. Nearby lakes include

Elk The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The common ...

, Sparks, Blow, Doris,

Lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

, and Little Lava. Encroaching vegetation is gradually turning Hosmer Lake into a

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

. The lake bottom consists of mud and peat, and mosses and aquatic plants restrict the open water.

Water lilies ''Water Lilies'' (or ''Nymphéas'', ) is a series of approximately 250 oil paintings by French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840–1926). The paintings depict his flower garden at his home in Giverny, and were the main focus of his artisti ...

and bullrushes are prevalent.

Recreation

Formerly populated by

trash fish Rough fish (or the slang trash fish or dirt fish) is a term used by some United States state agencies and angling, anglers to describe fish that are less desirable to sport fishing, sport anglers within a defined region. The term usually refers to l ...

, including carp, the lake was treated with

rotenone Rotenone is an odorless, colorless, crystalline isoflavone used as a broad-spectrum insecticide, piscicide, and pesticide. It occurs naturally in the seeds and stems of several plants, such as the jicama vine plant, and the roots of several mem ...

in 1957 and restocked with Atlantic salmon. The landlocked salmon experiment proved successful, and in the 21st century the lake has been called "one of the richest lakes in the Deschutes National Forest". The lake supports populations of "very large" brook trout as well as "deep-bodied" salmon. Only

fly-fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly differ ...

with barbless flies is permitted on Hosmer Lake, and salmon must be released if caught. Boats with electric motors may slowly ply the lake, which is also open to canoes and other non-motorized craft. Mallard Marsh Campground and South Campground, managed by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

, are near the southwest end of the lake. Between them, they have about three dozen campsites, a paved boat ramp, and access to hiking and horse-riding trails. Snow may block access to the lake through the winter months and sometimes as late as June.

References

External links

Hosmer Lake
U.S. Forest Service {{authority control Deschutes National Forest Lakes of Oregon Lakes of Deschutes County, Oregon

Recreation

See also

References

External links