Odell Lake, OR

When I go out camping or day exploring with my son, I usually wing it. We wander up random roads and stop at spots (hills to climb, streams to play in, dirt piles to roll toy trucks on, underbrush to forage through) we might be able to make into a fun and interesting adventure.

Sometimes, winging it can be stressful.

My cousin and her family (husband and daughter) wanted to go camping with me because I'm awesome and random. We needed to meet somewhere half way so neither of us had an exceptionally longer drive over the other.

Odell Lake is about an hour and a half east of Eugene along highway 58. I had passed by it many times, entranced by its water surrounded by high peaks. Little did I know that campsites around the lake fill up fast and are reserved weeks ahead during the summer (like many popular recreation sites). Still, it worked out alright.

As soon as my partner got home from work we hit the road on a Friday afternoon to lock down a spot before my cousin arrived the next day. There are five campgrounds around the lake. The first we tried had only one site open, but it wouldn't fit two tents, so we decided to keep looking. Oh, what a mistake that was. Sort of.


Every other campground was full. Reservation signs with empty lots couldn't be taken because they were already paid for and the resident could arrive in the night.

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Always check the dates, btw. If your current night is not listed, you can potentially pay for the one night and leave at check-out the next day before the other paid tenant arrives. 

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There was nothing available. We jumped back and forth between campgrounds all night trying to find something we may have missed. We needed something, anything, for the night. We couldn't figure out how to get to the farthest shore where one CG was we hadn't checked on a road marked with a thin red line on our map (unspecified type of road, may be dirt). We abandoned that search and hopped down the road 9 miles to the neighboring Crescent Lake. 

Wouldn't you know it. NOTHING THERE TOO! The main CG was full. Another CG was a horse camp (for campers with horses only; there are corrals set up to hold the horses next to your site). One was by reservation only. Another smaller CG was full. The other two were group camps ($80 a night). Ugh. Strike out.  

The time read 11pm. Our son was asleep in the backseat (thank goodness; he complains about being scared of the dark when we wander too late). Frustrated, panicked, and tired, I tell my partner to turn down a dirt road that later connects to the road on the other side of the lake. We found a turn off where four-wheelers do tricks, and pitched our tent over an old disassembled make-shift fire pit. Someone clearly had the same idea we had. 

It was a lovely, peaceful night. No other campers could be heard. There was just us, the stars, and the forest up the slope. And... it was free. Campgrounds in this area cost between $14 and $80. 

Thankfully, my restless sleep spent worrying about where we were going to have our little camping trip when my cousin arrives was not prescience. Someone left in the morning at Princess Creek CG (off the highway at Odell), and we got our spot for $21 ($14 + $7 extra vehicle). It worked out beautifully. I was so relieved. 

 Left to right: Jim (partner), Tracy (cousin), Ernie (brother/cousin-in-law)

Next time, however, I think it wise to reserve ahead of time for this lake. There is a resort and marina on both the western side and eastern side. Residential cabins on the western side. 

Fishing on Odell 

We heard from other fisherman that Odell is a prime spot for salmon and rainbow trout. I paddled my kayak out to fish on two separate occasions. The wind picks up about 10am and blows an unanchored raft or kayak too far past a reasonable distance for returning when you're ready. 

The first day it blew me east and it took alternating rowing with my cousin for two hours to return. The second day I was alone and it blew me west. As great of a workout as it was, I couldn't get adequate time fishing. Once the waves picked up, I had to focus on getting back to the dock. It was too strong. Not good for kayaking past 10am.

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Odell Stats: Odell Lake sits over 5000 ft in elevation, so snow accumulation is significant in the winter. The lake holds the record for caught Mackinaw (lake trout) at 40 and a half pounds. Visit BestFishingInAmerica's site for more info. 

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Unless you have a motor boat, I'd stay off the water.  

Play and General Activities

Left top - Cousin Tracy, Right Top - Me, Left front - Bella (goddaughter), Right Front - Link (son)

The kids had fun jumping off the dock, siting in our hammock, walking around the loops, collecting firewood, riding the little raft my cousin brought, and climbing around in the cars (like they do no matter where we are).

Other people brought bikes, but most were there for the fishing in one form or another.

All in all the trip was an adventure. 

Our dog was the only one not happy. Algae bloom in the lake meant no swimming for the dog because he would drink the water. But, considering we almost had to establish camp in the middle of nowhere when everyone was expecting lake activities, things turned out alright. 

I love living on the fly, but that's usually because I can find somewhere. Populated, popular, easily accessible natural sites are riskier for people like me. I try to stick to difficult to reach, seemingly unimpressive, less known finds. This was an exception because I had my cousin's family to think about, and they are not as equipped or excited about doing what I do. 

If we hadn't decided to abandon the first campsite we found (which wouldn't have fit both tents), we wouldn't have had enough cash to pay for the one the next morning that did fit both tents.

^--- Silver lining fishhook

I'm just saying, maybe it worked out for the better.