Lemolo Lake (ləmolo-- Chinook Jargon for "wild" or "untamed") is a small lake and reservoir in

Douglas County, Oregon Douglas County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 111,201. The county seat is Roseburg. The county is named after Stephen A. Douglas, an American politician who supported Orego ...

in the

Umpqua National Forest Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade Range, covers an area of in Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas, Lane County, Oregon, Lane, and Jackson County, Oregon, Jackson counties, and borders Crater Lake National Park. The four ranger di ...

north of

Crater Lake National Park Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...

, on the

North Umpqua River The North Umpqua River is a tributary of the Umpqua River, about long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a scenic and rugged area of the Cascade Range southeast of Eugene, flowing through steep canyons and surrounded by larg ...

. It is part of the Diamond Lake Ranger district and is administered 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 inc ...

History

Before the 1880s, the area around Lemolo Lake was used mainly by the Native American groups. It was not until the 1880s that white settlers began to use the area extensively as grazing land for sheep. The first land-use reform came in 1908 when the McGowan, Kelsay Valley, and Dog Prairie Allotments allowed for regulated grazing in the areas around Lemolo and Diamond Lakes. While development continued in the vicinity of Diamond Lake throughout the 20th century, the land around Lemolo Lake remained relatively untouched with the exception of the building of the North Umpqua road in 1939 (later replaced by Hwy. 138 in 1964), the installation of telephone lines between 1909 and 1965, the construction of the two Lemolo dams from 1952–1956, and periodic timber harvesting or replanting from the 1950s through the 1990s. Cabins and the only store were built at Lemolo Lake between 1963 and 1984. The reservoir was formed by the construction of two hydroelectric dams, Lemolo #1 ( high, completed in 1955) and Lemolo #2 Forebay ( high, dating from 1956). Together they generated 65 megawatts. Both are part of the larger North Umpqua Hydroelectric Project, located entirely within the

, and owned and operated by

PacifiCorp PacifiCorp is an electric power company in the western United States. PacifiCorp has two business units: # Pacific Power, a regulated electric utility with service territory throughout Oregon, northern California, and southeastern Washington. # ...

Location and geography

Lemolo Lake is situated at approximately above sea level in the eastern region of the Umpqua National Forest. It forms the tip of a triangle of lakes formed by Lemolo Lake to the north, Diamond Lake to the south, and Miller Lake to the southeast. Unlike nearby Diamond Lake, Lemolo Lake is isolated and serviced only by National Forest Development Roads. There are excellent views of Mt. Bailey and Mt. Thielsen, as well as Cinnamon Butte (all of which are located to the south of Lemolo Lake).

Climate

Recreation

Summer

The lake is a popular camping and fishing spot during the summer months and boasts four forest service campgrounds and Lemolo Lake KOA which has RV and Tent sites and 7 full service cabins. The most popular activities during the summer include fishing for trout, swimming, hiking and water skiing. Personal watercraft are also allowed on the lake, however the marina does not offer speed-boats or jet-skis, so water skiers must provide their own.

Health notices

During the summer months, there can be blue-green algae blooms, which may be harmful to health. These blooms do not occur every year, nor do they occur at the same time of year. Visitors should check with the USFS for advisory warnings about water conditions before making the trip. Efforts have succeeded in recent years to curb the algae growth in Lemolo Lake and nearby Diamond Lake. These efforts have coincided with the removal of invasive fish species such as the

Tui Chub The tui chub (''Siphateles bicolor'') is a cyprinid fish native to western North America. Widespread in many areas, it is an important food source for other fish, including the cutthroat trout. Range The tui chub's range includes the Lahonta ...

. In 2009, the algae level was 300,000 cells per millimeter, down from the millions of cells measured in prior years.

Winter

Lemolo Lake's cabins and camping areas are open from late April-Mid Octorber.

References

{{authority control Reservoirs in Oregon Protected areas of Douglas County, Oregon Umpqua National Forest Dams in Oregon PacifiCorp dams Dams completed in 1955 1955 establishments in Oregon Lakes of Douglas County, Oregon