Lake Bonneville Fishing
A 19,452-acre Oregon reservoir in Hood River, Wasco and Multnomah counties, shared across a state line.
Pick for salmonPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Hood River: Bernt Rostad, CC BY 2.0
Lake Bonneville for a first-time Oregon visit
Lake Bonneville is a reservoir of Hood River, Wasco and Multnomah counties whose NHD outline measures near 19,452 acres. The state line crosses it, leaving roughly 54% of the outline in Oregon. Launches on it are run by City of Hood River, City of Mosier and Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation. Hood River, around 10 miles away, is the closest town on the Census list.
OSMB maps 18 open launch sites on it.
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.
What lives in Lake Bonneville
Treat the Lake Bonneville list as where ODFW records fish, not as a survey of numbers.
Origin notes for fish in Lake Bonneville
| Fish | Use ODFW records | Origin | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Channel catfish | 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.
Putting a boat on Lake Bonneville
- Blackberry Beach launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, hand launch; Port of Cascade Locks
- Event Site launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, life jacket loaner station, hand launch; Port of Hood River
- Herman Creek Cove launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, life jacket loaner station, hand launch; Port of Cascade Locks
- Jensen Beach launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, hand launch; Port of Hood River
- Mayer State Park on Lake Bonneville1 lane, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, life jacket loaner station; Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Nichols Basin Blackwater Beach launch on Lake Bonneville1 lane, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, life jacket loaner station, hand launch; Port of Hood River
- Port of Cascade Locks Marina on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, short-term tie-up, pumpout; Port of Cascade Locks; OSMB note: The Marine Park Boat launch and marina at Port of Cascade Locks are experiencing …
- Port of Cascade Locks Ramp on Lake Bonneville2 lanes, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, life jacket loaner station; Port of Cascade Locks
- Port of Hood River Ramp on Lake Bonneville2 lanes, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, short-term tie-up, fuel; Port of Hood River
- Port of The Dalles Marina on Lake Bonneville2 lanes, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, short-term tie-up, fuel; Port of The Dalles
- Port of The Dalles Ramp on Lake Bonneville2 lanes, trailered launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, short-term tie-up, fuel; Port of The Dalles
- Riverfront Park (The Dalles) on Lake Bonneville1 lane, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, life jacket loaner station, hand launch; Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation
- Rock Creek launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, hand launch; City of Mosier
- Rowena launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, hand launch; Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- The Hook launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, hand launch; Port of Hood River
- The Spit launch on Lake Bonneville1 lane, hand carry launch; parking, restrooms, hand launch; Port of Hood River
- Viento State Park Hand Launch on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, hand launch; Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
- Waterfront Park on Lake Bonnevillehand carry launch; parking, restrooms, use fee, life jacket loaner station, hand launch; City of Hood River
Launches a brief haul from Lake Bonneville
- Taylor Lake Paddle AccessTaylor Lake (Wasco), 7 miles southeast
Oregon State Marine Board Boating Access Sites layer (OSMB ArcGIS), read November 2, 2026; status as OSMB publishes it.
Where Lake Bonneville stands now
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.
This Lake Bonneville figure is a dated Army Corps forebay reading, not a live feed.
Taking fish home from Lake Bonneville
The booklet does not name Lake Bonneville itself; the Central Zone table shown is the one for most listed waters in Wasco County, so confirm the zone on the ODFW map.
| Species | Daily limit as printed | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Trout | Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 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 | In the aggregate: 2 adult salmon or steelhead per day, 20 per year. 5 jack salmon per day, 2 daily jack limits in possession, with the exception that one additional hatchery steelhead may be retained per day for a total. | Closed in all waters unless noted by species under Exceptions. |
| Sturgeon | Catch-and-release only. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons. |
| 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 only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries flooded by Bonneville and The. |
| Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Other Sunfish, Walleye, Yellow Perch, Whit. | No limit. | Lakes: Open all year. Streams: Open during trout, salmon or steelhead seasons only, except portions of Columbia River tributaries flooded by Bonneville and The. |
The state boundary at Lake Bonneville
Because Lake Bonneville crosses a state line, the neighbouring state may set its own rules on its share.
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) (Central Zone page), read November 2, 2026.
For the salmon herePiscifun AlumiX spinning reel46% OFFSale $64.99 Nearby lakes alongside Lake Bonneville
By outline area, Lake Celilo tops the nearby lakes at about 8,763 acres.
| Lake | Distance | Acres | Kind | OSMB launches | Stocking weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Bonneville | 19,452 | reservoir | 18 | 0 | |
| Taylor Lake | 7 miles southeast | 25 | lake | 1 | 0 |
| Lake Celilo | 15 miles east | 8,763 | reservoir | 4 | 0 |
| Green Point Lower Reservoir | 17 miles west | 16 | reservoir | 1 | 0 |
| Green Point Upper Reservoir | 18 miles west | 47 | reservoir | 1 | 0 |
| Rainy Lake | 22 miles west | 8 | lake | 0 | 0 |
BLM outlines, the OSMB launch layer and the ODFW stocking schedule; read November 2, 2026.
Within an easy drive of Lake Bonneville
Lakes for a second day near Lake Bonneville
- Taylor Lake7 miles southeast
- Lake Celilo15 miles east
- Green Point Lower Reservoir17 miles west
- Green Point Upper Reservoir18 miles west
- Rainy Lake22 miles west
Picking up tackle for Lake Bonneville
- Bi-Mart (The Dalles)sporting goods store, The Dalles, 8 miles
- Larimer Outfittersbait and tackle shop, Hood River, 9 miles
- Big Y Fly Companybait and tackle shop, Hood River, 9 miles
- Bi-Mart (Hood River)sporting goods store, Hood River, 10 miles
- Big Y Fly Cobait and tackle shop, Hood River, 10 miles
- Gorge Fly Shopfly shop, Hood River, 11 miles
Booking a fishing guide for Lake Bonneville
- Northwest Flyfishing Outfitterfly fishing guide, Portland, (503) 252-1529
Towns that work as a base for Lake Bonneville
- Hood River10 miles
- The Dalles11 miles
- Cascade Locks26 miles
The counties around Lake Bonneville
- Hood River Countyseat: Hood River
- Wasco Countyseat: The Dalles
- Multnomah Countyseat: Portland
Rods, reels and braid from Piscifun for Lake Bonneville
Piscifun and Amazon links are affiliate links; the site earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
What the Lake Bonneville species look like
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, CC BY 2.0
Photo: gailhampshire, CC BY 2.0
What gets asked about Lake Bonneville first
What corner of Oregon holds Lake Bonneville?
Its county is Hood River, Wasco and Multnomah counties, about 10 miles from Hood River.
How big is Lake Bonneville on the PMEP map?
About 19,452 acres mapped, about 54% of it in Oregon.
Where does OSMB map a launch on Lake Bonneville?
Try Blackberry Beach launch on Lake Bonneville, one of 18 launch sites.
What does ODFW record in Lake Bonneville?
The habitat layers and booklet list channel catfish.
Does the booklet set special rules for Lake Bonneville?
Trout: Lakes: 5 per day, 3 daily limits in possession. Streams: 2 per day, 3 daily limits in possession; 8-inch minimum.
What are the 2026 fees for fishing Lake Bonneville?
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).
Where can I fish Lake Bonneville without a boat in Oregon?
The shore lists skip this water.
Who sells Oregon bait near Lake Bonneville?
The nearest listed counter is Bi-Mart (The Dalles), roughly 8 miles away.
What is the level of Lake Bonneville now?
The level band carries the current reading.
Take the Oregon back roads to Lake Bonneville
Every Oregon fee and bag limit is one click away.