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Oregon lakes and reservoirs

Hills Creek Lake Fishing

A 2,590-acre Oregon reservoir in Lane County.

Get driving directions

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Photo: Don Hankins, CC BY 2.0

Lane County

Where an Oregon day on Hills Creek Lake begins

The BLM outline of Hills Creek Lake, a reservoir in Lane County, adds up to roughly 2,590 acres. Boaters use sites operated by Middle Fork Ranger District. From the GNIS point it is about 6 miles to Oakridge.

4 open launch sites serve it, per OSMB. Zone limits change here through 3 water-specific rules. The booklet places it in the Willamette Zone. Hatchery trout are planned for it in 10 stocking weeks.

2,590acres (BLM outline)

4OSMB launches

4fish mapped

10stocking weeks

BLM Oregon hydrography lake outlines (NHD), summed by GNIS name (layer), read November 2, 2026.; launch managers from the Oregon State Marine Board launch layer; Census 2023 places.

Directions to Hills Creek Lake

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Species

Fish ODFW maps in Hills Creek Lake

Brown bullhead Largemouth bass Rainbow trout White crappie

Habitat records, booklet rules and records name these fish at Hills Creek Lake.

Native, stocked or introduced at Hills Creek Lake

Fish	Use ODFW records	Origin	Basis
Brown bullhead	resident multiple uses	non native	UndocObsFish
Largemouth bass	resident multiple uses	non native	UndocObsFish
Rainbow trout	resident multiple uses	native local	UndocObsFish
White crappie	resident multiple uses	non native	UndocObsFish

ODFW Fish Habitat Distribution layers (ODFW ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; a mapped species is habitat use ODFW records, not a catch report.

Access

Where to launch on Hills Creek Lake

• Bingham Boat Launch on Hills Creek Lake1 lane, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, hand launch; Middle Fork Ranger District
• CT Beach Boat Launch on Hills Creek Lake1 lane, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee; Middle Fork Ranger District
• Larison Cove Canoe Launch on Hills Creek Lake1 lane, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, hand launch; Middle Fork Ranger District
• Packard Creek Campground boat ramp on Hills Creek Lake2 lanes, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee; Middle Fork Ranger District

Other OSMB launches by Hills Creek Lake

• Greenwaters Park on Middle Fork Willamette RiverMiddle Fork Willamette River, 5 miles north
• Salmon Creek Falls Campground launchSalmon Creek, 7 miles north
• Turtle Island Park on North Fork Middle Fork Willamette RiverNorth Fork Middle Fork Willamette River, 8 miles northwest
• Hampton Boat Launch on Lookout Point LakeLookout Point Lake, 13 miles northwest

Oregon State Marine Board Boating Access Sites layer (OSMB ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; status as OSMB publishes it.

Oregon boat ramps

Level

Gauge and pool level on Hills Creek Lake

USGS gauge	Latest reading	Time (ET)
Hills Creek Lake Near Oakridge, Or	1,446.64 ft lake elevation	Nov 4 4:00 am

US Geological Survey provisional data, retrieved Nov 4, 2026 4:32 am ET. Provisional readings can be revised.

1,447.02 ftHills Creek Dam forebay elevation, November 2, 2026 PST

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division water management data (NWD dataquery), reading as of the date shown, read November 2, 2026; datum as the Corps publishes it.

The USGS gauge for Hills Creek Lake refreshes through the day; its values are provisional.

Oregon water levels

Stocking

Trout releases planned for Hills Creek Lake

Week as printed	ODFW office	Planned trout by size class
Sep. 27, 2027 – Oct. 01, 2027	Springfield	3,000 legal-size trout
Apr. 26, 2027 – Apr. 30, 2027	Springfield	3,750 legal-size trout
Mar. 29, 2027 – Apr. 02, 2027	Springfield	3,750 legal-size trout
Mar. 08, 2027 – Mar. 12, 2027	Springfield	3,500 legal-size trout
Feb. 15, 2027 – Feb. 19, 2027	Springfield	3,500 legal-size trout
Sep. 28, 2026 – Oct. 02, 2026	Springfield	3,000 legal-size trout
Apr. 27, 2026 – May. 01, 2026	Springfield	3,750 legal-size trout
Mar. 30, 2026 – Apr. 03, 2026	Springfield	3,750 legal-size trout
Mar. 09, 2026 – Mar. 13, 2026	Springfield	3,500 legal-size trout
Feb. 16, 2026 – Feb. 20, 2026	Springfield	3,500 legal-size trout

The schedule lists planned releases for Hills Creek Lake; weather and hatchery conditions can change a week.

ODFW weekly trout stocking schedule (planned releases; ODFW prints size classes, not species), myodfw.com, read November 2, 2026.

Oregon trout stocking

Limits

Daily bag at Hills Creek Lake

Start with the Willamette Zone rows for Hills Creek Lake; the booklet places it there.

Species	Daily limit as printed	Season
Trout	Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: catch-and-release only, unless noted under Exceptions; 8-inch minimum	Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open May 22 – Oct 31 unless noted under Exceptions.
Kokanee	10 per day unless noted under Exceptions.	Open all year.
Salmon and Steelhead below Willamette Falls and Columbia River Tributa.	In the aggregate: 2 adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year. 5 jacks per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession.	Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions.
Salmon above Willamette Falls	2 adult salmon per day, 5 jacks per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession. 20 salmon and steelhead per year in aggregate.	Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions.
Steelhead above Willamette Falls	3 adult steelhead per day (in addition to daily salmon bag limit). 20 salmon and steelhead per year in aggregate.	Closed in all waters unless noted under Exceptions.
Sturgeon	Catch-and-release only, unless noted under Exceptions.	Catch-and-release: Open all year, except as noted under Exceptions.
Bass	Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession unless noted under Exceptions. Streams: No limit.	Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia.
Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Stri.	No limit, unless noted under Exceptions.	Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons, except mainstem Willamette River and sloughs and tidewater areas of Columbia.
Pacific Lamprey	Refer to General (Statewide) Regulations for regulations covering the harvest of Pacific lamprey.	Refer to General (Statewide) Regulations for regulations covering the harvest of Pacific lamprey.
Smelt	Closed.	Closed.

Exceptions listed for Hills Creek Lake

Water as printed	Species	Rule	Page
Hills Creek Reservoir	trout	5 hatchery trout per day, no minimum length.	p. 46
Hills Creek Reservoir	trout	Wild trout must be released.	p. 46
Hills Creek Reservoir	salmon, trout	Hatchery salmon less than 24 inches in length are considered trout.	p. 46

Water exceptions as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (booklet PDF; printed page shown), read November 2, 2026. In-season changes from ODFW override them.

An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut go on a Combined Angling Tag ($69 resident).

Limits as printed in the 2026 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations (ODFW, eRegulations edition) (Willamette Zone page), read November 2, 2026.

Oregon licenses and limitsRules by water

Compare

Hills Creek Lake set beside nearby still water

For more room, Waldo Lake offers about 6,061 acres.

Lake	Distance	Acres	Kind	OSMB launches	Stocking weeks
Hills Creek Lake		2,590	reservoir	4	10
Blair Lake	15 miles northeast	24	lake	0	0
Lookout Point Lake	19 miles northwest	4,083	reservoir	2	0
Gold Lake	19 miles east	87	lake	1	0
Waldo Lake	20 miles east	6,061	lake	1	0
Alameda Lake	20 miles southeast	4	lake	1	0

BLM outlines, the OSMB launch layer and the ODFW stocking schedule; read November 2, 2026.

Nearby

Next stops near Hills Creek Lake for an Oregon trip

More Oregon lakes close to Hills Creek Lake

• Blair Lake15 miles northeast
• Lookout Point Lake19 miles northwest
• Gold Lake19 miles east
• Waldo Lake20 miles east
• Alameda Lake20 miles southeast

Gear shops in range of Hills Creek Lake

• Dick's Sporting Goods Eugenesporting goods store, Eugene
• Home Waters Fly Fishingfly shop, Eugene
• Mazama Fishing PRO Shopbait and tackle shop, Eugene
• Oregon Rod Reel & Tacklebait and tackle shop, Eugene
• Angler's Manufacturing Incfly shop, Florence
• Bridgeport Marketbait and tackle shop, Florence

Lodging towns close to Hills Creek Lake

• Oakridge5 miles
• Lowell25 miles
• Cottage Grove33 miles

County guides covering Hills Creek Lake

• Lane Countyseat: Eugene

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Piscifun gear an angler could carry out to Hills Creek Lake

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Photos

Photographs from the shoreline near Hills Creek Lake

Answers

Read these before you fish Hills Creek Lake

Where in Oregon is Hills Creek Lake?

The water sits in Lane County, about 6 miles from Oakridge.

How many acres does the BLM outline give Hills Creek Lake?

Near 2,590 acres by the BLM layer.

Which OSMB launch is closest to Hills Creek Lake?

4 launch sites appear on the OSMB layer, including Bingham Boat Launch on Hills Creek Lake.

Which gamefish use Hills Creek Lake?

ODFW sources name brown bullhead, largemouth bass, rainbow trout and white crappie.

Does ODFW set a size limit at Hills Creek Lake?

Trout: Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: catch-and-release only, unless noted under Exceptions; 8-inch minimum. Check the rule printed for this water.

Can a visitor fish Hills Creek Lake?

An Oregon angling license ($50 resident, $138 nonresident for 2026) covers anglers 12 and older; salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and halibut go on a Combined Angling Tag ($69 resident).

Are there docks on Hills Creek Lake?

None appears on the shore lists.

Where is the nearest Oregon tackle counter to Hills Creek Lake?

First on our list: Dick's Sporting Goods Eugene in the same county.

Where do I check the water at Hills Creek Lake?

See the level band for the gauge and its date.

When does ODFW stock Hills Creek Lake?

Hatchery trout are planned in 10 stocking weeks.

Make Hills Creek Lake the weekend

Buy the Oregon license and tag online before the drive.

Oregon licenses and limitsAll Oregon lakes