Howard Prairie Lake
Howard Prairie Lake is a reservoir in Jackson County, Southern Oregon, about 18 miles east of Ashland. It sits at 4,526 feet above sea level. The lake was created in 1958 by the Howard Prairie Dam, a 100-foot earth-fill dam on Beaver Creek, which is part of the Klamath River watershed. A canal also diverts water from nearby Little Butte Creek (Rogue River watershed) into the lake.
The lake covers about 1,990 acres and holds around 62,100 acre-feet of water. It has an average depth of 35 feet and a maximum depth of 80 feet. The drainage basin covers about 79 square miles.
In the 2020–21 drought, the lake dropped to just 4% of its capacity.
Howard Prairie Lake is known for rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass. Ducks and geese can be found in the surrounding area. The lake is surrounded by pine and fir forests in the Cascade Mountains. Popular activities include boating, water skiing, fishing, and camping at three public campgrounds. There are also hiking and biking trails around the lake. The Howard Prairie Lake Resort on the northern shore has a marina, boat ramp, restaurant, campground, and convenience store. Islands in the lake include Buck, Doe, and Fawn.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:54 (CET).