My Travel Journal

Lake Owyhee is a veritable oasis in the arid reaches of southeastern Oregon. The lake, some 30 miles southwest of Nyssa, was formed by the damming of the Owyhee River, and stretches some 40 miles. With the Owyhee Mountains to the east, Owyhee Lake offers spectacular high desert scenery; anglers are sure to miss a few bites from resident bass, crappie, catfish and trout while taking in the stunning rock formations that mark the shoreline. This wild, sparsely populated country is rich in wildlife, and mule deer, bighorn sheep and even mountain lions are sometimes seen around the lake. The name Owyhee has a curious history. A fur-trapping expedition led by a man named Donald McKenzie explored the region in 1819. Among the expedition’s members were three men from Hawaii. These men were sent to explore the trapping possibilities of a river that terminated in the Snake. The Hawaiian men didn’t return; one was later found murdered in their camp, and the others were never found. McKenzie named the river in their honor with a slightly original spelling. Lake Owyhee has several improved campgrounds, as well as a store for provisions (few services are available between the lake and Nyssa).

Courtesy of "Boating in Oregon" by Oregon State Marine Board

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