Triangle Lake

Triangle Lake, a 293-acre natural body of water in the Oregon Coast Range, serves as a popular freshwater launch site for paddlers. Access is primarily through the Triangle Lake County Park, which features a developed boat ramp, an ADA-accessible dock, and a large pull-through parking lot designed for easy trailer maneuvering. While the highway-adjacent shoreline is active with boaters and swimmers during summer months, the lake's undeveloped far side provides a quieter, scenic setting for exploring the calm, 90-foot-deep waters. Yes, the water is that deep in some areas! The maximum recorded depth is 97 feet. The average depth of the lake is approximately 52 feet. This significant depth allows the lake to develop a pronounced thermal stratification during the summer, creating deep-water habitats where fish species like kokanee salmon thrive.

Historically, the area around Triangle Lake was part of the traditional territory of the Siuslaw people, specifically the Siuslaw and Lower Umpqua tribes, who utilized the area for fishing, hunting, and gathering before Euro-American settlement. The lake and surrounding region remained relatively isolated until the early 20th century. With the completion and improvement of the territorial road (now Highway 36) in the 1930s, access increased, and the lake began to develop as a recreational destination.