Hosmer Lake

Hosmer Lake
Hosmer Lake and Mount Bachelor
Hosmer Lake
Hosmer Lake
LocationDeschutes County, Oregon
Coordinates43°57′49″N 121°46′49″W / 43.96361°N 121.78028°W / 43.96361; -121.78028
Lake typeNatural, mesotrophic, with dam
Primary inflowsQuinn Creek
Primary outflowsNone on the surface
Catchment area13 square miles (34 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area198 acres (80 ha)
Average depth3 feet (0.9 m)
Max. depth12 feet (3.7 m)
Water volume600 acre-feet (740,000 m3)
Shore length15 miles (8 km)
Surface elevation4,964 feet (1,513 m)
SettlementsBend
References
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Hosmer Lake is a natural body of water in the central Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. Nearly 5,000 feet (1,500 m) above sea level, the lake is part of a volcanic landscape about 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway. In 1962, the United States Board on Geographic Names changed the name from Mud Lake to Hosmer Lake in honor of Paul Hosmer, a naturalist from Bend.

Hosmer Lake is about 5 miles (8 km) west of Mount Bachelor in Deschutes National Forest. Nearby lakes include Elk, Sparks, Blow, Doris, Lava, and Little Lava.

Encroaching vegetation is gradually turning Hosmer Lake into a marsh. The lake bottom consists of mud and peat, and mosses and aquatic plants restrict the open water. Water lilies and bullrushes are prevalent.