Fourmile Lake is a reservoir

Reservoir

A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...

 located 5748 feet (1,752 m) above sea level in Klamath County

Klamath County, Oregon

-National protected areas:* Bear Valley National Wildlife Refuge* Crater Lake National Park * Deschutes National Forest * Fremont National Forest * Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge* Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge...

, Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is 45 miles (72.4 km) northeast of Medford

Medford, Oregon

Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...

.
The lake was created when the 25 feet (7.6 m) tall Fourmile Lake Dam was constructed, impounding Fourmile Creek, in the Klamath River

Klamath River

The Klamath River is an American river that flows southwest through Oregon and northern California, cutting through the Cascade Range to empty into the Pacific Ocean. The river drains an extensive watershed of almost that stretches from the high desert country of the Great Basin to the temperate...

 watershed. It is located just to the east of Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin

Mount McLoughlin is a steep-sided lava cone built on top of a shield volcano in the Cascade Range of southern Oregon and within the Sky Lakes Wilderness area. It is one of the volcanic peaks in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. The mountain is north of Mount Shasta, south of Crater Lake, and west of Upper...

, which stands 9495 feet (2,894.1 m) above sea level. The lake is bordered by Sky Lakes Wilderness

Sky Lakes Wilderness

The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Winema National Forests in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon, U.S.. It comprises . of the area are located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and located in the Winema National Forest...

, and is in the Winema National Forest

Winema National Forest

The Winema National Forest is a United States National Forest in Klamath County on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon, and covers . The forest borders Crater Lake National Park near the crest of the Cascades and stretches eastward into the Klamath Basin...

.

History

In 1898, the Fish Lake Water Company was established to help irrigate

Irrigation

Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...

 the Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley

The Rogue Valley is a farming and timber-producing region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon near the California border. The...

. The company proposed create Fourmile Lake and enlarge nearby Fish Lake

Fish Lake (Jackson County, Oregon)

Fish Lake is a reservoir located above sea level in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It is northeast of Medford.Originally a natural lake, it was enlarged by the tall Fish Lake Dam, which impounds the north fork of Little Butte Creek, in the Rogue River watershed.-Geology:Fish Lake is...

 for added water storage. The Fourmile Lake Dam was constructed in 1906, while Fish Lake was completed in 1908. The two lakes were connected in 1915 by the Cascade Canal

Cascade Canal

The Cascade Canal is a canal located in Klamath and Jackson counties, in the U.S. State of Oregon. It delivers water from Fourmile Lake in the Klamath River watershed over the Cascade Divide to Fish Lake in the Rogue River watershed....

, taking water from Fourmile Lake over the Cascade

Cascade Range

The Cascade Range 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, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...

 Divide to Fish Lake, supplementing Little Butte Creek

Little Butte Creek (Rogue River)

Little Butte Creek is a long tributary of the Rogue River located in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin consists of approximately of Jackson County, and another in Klamath County. The north fork of the creek begins at Fish Lake, while the south fork begins near Brown Mountain. The two...

.
In 1955, the dam was repaired, and a new spillway

Spillway

A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...

 was added.

Statistics

Fish Lake has an average surface area of 740 acres (2,994,676.4 m²),
an average volume of 15600 acre.ft, and a 105 square miles (271.9 km²) drainage basin.
It has a maximum depth of 170 feet (51.8 m). Fish Lake Dam stands 25 feet (7.6 m) tall and 660 feet (201.2 m) long.

Fauna

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

, Kokanee

Sockeye salmon

Sockeye salmon , also called red salmon or blueback salmon in the USA, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it...

, Brook Trout

Brook trout

The brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a species of fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. In many parts of its range, it is known as the speckled trout or squaretail. A potamodromous population in Lake Superior are known as coaster trout or, simply, as coasters...

, and Lake trout

Lake trout

Lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, lake char , touladi, togue, and grey trout. In Lake Superior, they can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbellies and leans...

 are common in the lake. The Bushy-tailed Woodrat

Bushy-tailed Woodrat

The Bushy-tailed Woodrat, Packrat, or Woodrat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.It is found in Canada and the United States....

 and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

The golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus lateralis, is a type of ground squirrel found in mountainous areas of western North America. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and underground fungi. It is preyed upon by hawks, jays, weasels, foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. A typical adult...

, species of least concern

Least Concern

Least Concern is an IUCN category assigned to extant taxon or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category. As such they do not qualify as threatened, Near Threatened, or Conservation Dependent...

, can be found around the lake.

Recreation

The Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail

The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...

 passes by about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Fourmile Lake.
The lake is included in the Winema National Forest

Winema National Forest

The Winema National Forest is a United States National Forest in Klamath County on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range in south-central Oregon, and covers . The forest borders Crater Lake National Park near the crest of the Cascades and stretches eastward into the Klamath Basin...

.
The Sky Lakes Wilderness

Sky Lakes Wilderness

The Sky Lakes Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou and Winema National Forests in the southern Cascade Range of Oregon, U.S.. It comprises . of the area are located in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and located in the Winema National Forest...

 borders the lake, and a trail leads into it. One campground

Campsite

A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...

 is located near the lake.
Popular activities include fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

, swimming, and boating

Boating

Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...

.