Basin countries United States Average depth 37 feet (11 m) Surface elevation 1,536 m Mean depth 11 m | Surface area 139 acres (56 ha) Max depth 26 m Area 56 ha | |
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Location Lane County, Oregon,
United States Type Natural, ultraoligotrophic Catchment area 0.9 square miles (2.3 km) | ||
Mink Lake is the second-largest wilderness lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. Mink Lake lies at about 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level on a Cascade Range lava plateau in the Three Sisters Wilderness in eastern Lane County. One of many lakes in the Mink Lake Basin, it covers 139 acres (56 ha).
Map of Mink Lake, Oregon 97413, USA
Hiking trails enter the Mink Lake Basin, at the headwaters of the South Fork McKenzie River, from many directions. The Pacific Crest Trail runs roughly north–south about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the lake. Natural campsites abound in the area, but in warm weather mosquitoes can be a problem.
So few chemicals and nutrients enter this lake that it is classified as ultraoligotrophic, and it is thought to be among the most pristine lakes in Oregon. Fishing is possible here mainly because of stocking. Rainbow and cutthroat trout range in size from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).