Lakes abound across the Pacific Northwest Region, ranging from tiny crystal-clear alpine tarns, to large nutrient-rich coastal ponds and mountain lakes, to huge deep, dark reservoirs.

These lakes and reservoirs serve as habitat for diverse assemblages of aquatic life, including many species of cold-water and warm-water fish. Many of the lakes have had fish species introduced to provide enhanced fishing opportunities. Lake habitats on the National Forests are managed to protect these native and desirable species and water quality, as well as to provide for a range of recreational experiences such as camping, hiking, boating, fishing, fish-viewing and educational programs.

Many of these water bodies, especially reservoirs, have been systematically improved to provide better habitat conditions for fish, or access for anglers.

Lost Lake (photo right) on the Umatilla National Forest lies in a high bowl burned by wildfire in the late-1980's. It was deepened and enlarged in 1994 to improve cutthroat trout fishing.

An excellent example is the Applegate Lake Recreational Fishery Enhancement Project (.pdf, 1.2mb) on the Rogue River National Forest, which has improved both habitat conditions for warm-water fish and boating access to the reservoir.

Lakes, as standing water bodies, can be particularly sensitive to changes in the surrounding environment (including air quality). Most National Forests have an inventory program that gathers information on lake status (water quality, riparian conditions, fish populations present, etc.), that can be useful for evaluating long-term trends. This information is accessible through the Supervisor's Office on each National Forest.