Ashland OR Boating

For those who enjoy motor boating – and the many activities available to them when out on a lake, Southern Oregon offers some attractive options.  Whether it is just a hop, skip and a jump to Emigrant Lake or to Howard Prairie or Lost Lake, we are sure you won’t be disappointed.

Please do take note that all Oregon Resident boaters are required to carry a boater education card when operating powerboats (including personal watercraft or any motorized watercraft) greater than 10 hp.  Please visit this site for more information.

Emigrant Lake 

Enjoy fishing, water skiing or any other boating activities of your choice just fifteen minutes from downtown Ashland.  Emigrant Lake is a convenient and delightful spot for a ride in your boat with views of the surrounding mountains and Pilot Rock.  Emigrant Lake County Park offers a wide range of amenities for your visit, including restrooms, food concession, campsites, an RV Park, water slides and much more.  The boat ramp is open year round during daylight hours.

Directions: From downtown Ashland, head southeast on Siskiyou Blvd. Take a left onto Ashland Street and follow it past the freeway entrances and curve to the right (Ashland St. becomes OR-66/Greensprings Hwy).  Turn left onto Emigrant Lake Road.  There is a $4 daily parking fee per vehicle.

Howard Prairie Lake

Amongst the fir and pine forests of the Cascade Mountains lays Howard Prairie Lake.  It is located about 20 miles east of Ashland and the surface area of the lake is roughly 2000 acres.  Howard Prairie Lake is the home of the Rogue Yacht Club and the marina is open from dawn to dusk. Popular activities on the lake include boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, wakesurfing, kneeboarding, and fishing.  A day use dock and boat ramp is provided for a reasonable vehicle fee.

In addition to the various activities one can participate in on the lake, visitors may see a wide range of wildlife, including but not limited to bald and golden eagles, osprey, owls, Peregrin falcons, deer, and otter.  Mt. McLoughlin stands in the distance for boaters to behold.

Directions: From downtown Ashland, head southeast on Siskiyou Blvd. Take a left onto Ashland Street and follow it past the freeway entrances and curve to the right (Ashland St. becomes OR-66/Greensprings Hwy).  After passing the I-5 you’ll cover about .7 of a mile, then turn left onto Dead Indian Memorial Rd.  Continue 17 miles and take a right onto Hyatt Prairie Rd.  Take Hyatt Prairie Rd. about 3.3 miles, and turn left where you will enter to the Howard Prairie Lake Resort.  There is a $4 daily parking fee per vehicle.

Lost Creek Lake

About 45 miles from Ashland, one can find Lost Creek Lake, a popular boating destination in the Southern Oregon Cascades.  The lake is a reservoir that was created in 1977 along the Rogue River and has a surface area of roughly 3430 acres and a 30 miles shore length.  This lake is popular for a wide variety of water sports, such as trout and small-mouth bass fishing, water skiing, and wakeboarding. Lost Creek Marina provides many amenities to the lake, including boat slip rentals, boat rentals, a store, and a restaurant.

Directions: From Ashland, head to I-5 North toward Medford and take exit 30 toward N Medford/Crater Lake.  Turn right onto Crater Lake Highway/OR-62.  Follow Crater Lake Highway for about 32.6 miles and take a left into the Joseph Stewart State Park, where you will find the marina.

Outdoor Recreation Safety Note: Please be sure to read our safety note on our Outdoor Recreation home page.