Overview
Siltcoos Lake is a roughly 3,160-acre coastal dune lake in Douglas and Lane counties about seven miles south of Florence, the largest freshwater lake on the Oregon Coast. Fed by Woahink, Fiddle, Maple, and Lane creeks, it drains west through the short Siltcoos River to the Pacific; a small dam on the river regulates outflow. Fisheries and public fishing information are provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The lake averages only about 11 feet deep and reaches about 22 feet, with roughly 28 miles of highly irregular shoreline of drowned creek arms, shoals, and dense aquatic vegetation. About 80 percent of the basin is shallower than 15 feet, giving Siltcoos a eutrophic, weedy character typical of Oregon's coastal dune lakes.
Siltcoos is a premier south-coast warmwater fishery for largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, and bullheads, and it also draws paddlers and boaters from nearby Florence and the Oregon Dunes. Public ramps and forest recreation sites provide access around a shoreline that mixes public and private ownership.
Unlike Corps storage reservoirs, Siltcoos does not follow a published full/winter/flood rule curve. Mean lake elevation is only about 13 feet above mean sea level, and levels respond mainly to coastal rainfall, tributary inflow, and the small outlet dam. Monitoring current conditions still matters for navigating shallow, vegetated arms and for fishing access after storms or dry spells. Nearby Tenmile Lake offers a similar coastal warmwater setting farther south.
Current Conditions
- Drought conditionsSevere Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Siltcoos Lake is a 3,164-acre natural lake with management context from Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife (fishery); outflow regulated by a small dam on the Siltcoos River. Levels respond to rainfall, runoff, and natural inflows and outflows.