| Mink Lake | |
| Coords: | 43.9303°N -121.9236°W |
| Catchment: | 0.9mi2 |
| Basin Countries: | United States |
| Area: | 139acres |
| Depth: | 37feet |
| Max-Depth: | 85feet |
| Volume: | 5200acre-feet |
| Elevation: | 5039feet |
| Pushpin Map: | Oregon#USA |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Location of Mink Lake in Oregon, USA. |
| Reference: | [1] [2] [3] |
Mink Lake is the second-largest wilderness lake in the US state of Oregon. Mink Lake lies at about 5000feet 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 139acres.[2]
Hiking trails enter the Mink Lake Basin, at the headwaters of the South Fork McKenzie River, from many directions.[4] The Pacific Crest Trail runs roughly north - south about 1miles east of the lake.[5] Natural campsites abound in the area, but in warm weather mosquitoes can be a problem.[4]
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.[2] Fishing is possible here mainly because of stocking.[2] Rainbow and cutthroat trout range in size from 6inchesto12inchesin (toin).[4]