Dorena Lake Fishing Guides
A warm, shallow Row River reservoir east of Cottage Grove that fishes better for bass and crappie than anything else in the southern Willamette Valley.
Guides on the Dorena Lake
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About the Dorena Lake
Dorena Lake is held behind a Corps of Engineers dam on the Row River east of Cottage Grove, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. It is smaller and considerably shallower than the Middle Fork reservoirs to the north, and that shallowness is what gives it a different and in some ways better fishery. Dorena warms early and holds its warmth, which suits bass and panfish far more than it suits trout, and the lake has developed a reputation as one of the more productive warmwater fisheries in this part of Oregon, in a region where cold water is otherwise the rule.
Largemouth bass are the principal quarry, with smallmouth along the rockier shoreline and around the dam. Black crappie are abundant and are the fish many local anglers come for, holding tight to submerged timber and brush, particularly in the upper end where the Row River comes in. Bluegill and bullhead are common throughout. Rainbow and cutthroat trout are present and fish well in spring before the water warms, but by midsummer the lake is firmly a bass and panfish water. The Row River Trail runs along the shore and makes a good deal of the bank reachable on foot.
The gauge reports reservoir elevation on a drainage of about two hundred and sixty-five square miles. Like the other Corps reservoirs in the valley, Dorena is drawn down through the autumn for flood control and refilled in spring, so the elevation reading is the practical guide to which ramps are usable and how far the walk from the parking area will be. The lake is a Corps project carrying a live USGS elevation series, which is the basis on which it belongs in the directory alongside its neighbours.
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The photo at the top of this page is not Dorena Lake.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
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Pool right now
- 24 hours-0.54 ft ↓ falling
Reading taken 35 min ago at USGS 14155000, DORENA LAKE NEAR COTTAGE GROVE, OR. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
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Access
Cottage Grove - the nearest town, a few miles west, for supplies, lodging and guide contacts.
Baker Bay County Park - the main developed access on the lake, with a boat ramp and camping.
Schwarz Park - a Corps campground below the dam with river access.
Dorena Dam - the structure at the west end that governs the lake's level through the year.
Row River Trail - a converted rail corridor along the shore providing extensive bank access on foot.
Row River inflow - the upper end, where the river enters and the crappie and bass fishing is at its best.
Harms Park - an additional day use access point on the lake shore.
Seasons
Spring: the lake refills and warms early, with trout fishing at its best and bass moving shallow as the water comes up.
Summer: the strongest season, with largemouth and crappie fishing at its peak around timber and the upper-end structure.
Fall: the drawdown concentrates fish and the bass fishing stays good, though ramp access becomes progressively harder.
Winter: drawn down for flood control, with limited access and fishing largely confined to the bank and the trail.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Dorena Lake?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bullhead, Cutthroat Trout, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass on the Dorena Lake in Oregon.
Where can you access the Dorena Lake?
Cottage Grove - the nearest town, a few miles west, for supplies, lodging and guide contacts. Baker Bay County Park - the main developed access on the lake, with a boat ramp and camping. Schwarz Park - a Corps campground below the dam with river access. Dorena Dam - the structure at the west end that governs the lake's level through the year. Row River Trail - a converted rail corridor along the shore providing extensive bank access on foot. Row River inflow - the upper end, where the river enters and the crappie and bass fishing is at its best. Harms Park - an additional day use access point...
When is the best time to fish the Dorena Lake?
Spring: the lake refills and warms early, with trout fishing at its best and bass moving shallow as the water comes up. Summer: the strongest season, with largemouth and crappie fishing at its peak around timber and the upper-end structure. Fall: the drawdown concentrates fish and the bass fishing stays good, though ramp access becomes progressively harder. Winter: drawn down for flood control, with limited access and fishing largely confined to the bank and the trail.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Dorena Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Oregon agency site: https://myodfw.com/recreation-report/regulation-updates