Mink Lake is the second-largest wilderness lake in the US state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. Mink Lake lies at about above sea level on a

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

lava plateau in the

Three Sisters Wilderness The Three Sisters Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests in Oregon, United States. It comprises , making it the second largest wilderness area in Oregon, after the Eagle Cap Wilde ...

in eastern Lane County. One of many lakes in the Mink Lake Basin, it covers . Hiking trails enter the Mink Lake Basin, at the headwaters of the

South Fork McKenzie River The South Fork McKenzie River is a tributary, about long, of the McKenzie River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins at about above sea level near Mink Lake in the Three Sisters Wilderness of the Cascade Range. Flowing northwest within Lane ...

, from many directions. The

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

runs roughly north–south about east of the lake. Natural campsites abound in the area, but in warm weather mosquitoes can be a problem. So few chemicals and nutrients enter this lake that it is classified as ultraoligotrophic, and it is thought to be among the most pristine lakes in Oregon. Fishing is possible here mainly because of

stocking Stockings (also known as hose, especially in a historical context) are close-fitting, variously elastic garments covering the leg from the foot up to the knee or possibly part or all of the thigh. Stockings vary in color, design, and transparen ...

Rainbow A rainbow is a meteorological phenomenon that is caused by reflection, refraction and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a spectrum of light appearing in the sky. It takes the form of a multicoloured circular arc. Rainbows c ...

and cutthroat trout range in size from .

Notes and references

;Notes ;References {{authority control Lakes of Oregon Lakes of Lane County, Oregon Protected areas of Lane County, Oregon Willamette National Forest

See also

Notes and references