Cougar Reservoir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cougar Reservoir
Cougar Reservoir Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon Cougar Reservoir Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Lane County, Oregon
Coordinates	44°7′2″N 122°14′20″W / 44.11722°N 122.23889°W / 44.11722; -122.23889
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	South Fork McKenzie River
Primary outflows	South Fork McKenzie River
Catchment area	207 square miles (536 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	About 5 miles (8 km)
Surface area	1,280 acres (5.18 km2)
Average depth	171 feet (52 m)
Max. depth	425 feet (130 m)
Water volume	219,300 acre-feet (0.271 km3)
Residence time	4 months
Shore length1	18 miles (29 km)
Surface elevation	1,558 feet (475 m)
Settlements	Rainbow
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Cougar Reservoir (also known as Cougar Lake) is a reservoir on the South Fork McKenzie River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in Lane County, 46 miles (74 km) east of Eugene and about 3 miles (5 km) south of the community of Rainbow in the Willamette National Forest. In 1963 the United States Army Corps of Engineers built Cougar Dam on the river primarily to generate hydroelectricity and control flooding, and the reservoir formed behind the dam.

The lake is also used for recreation, including boating, fishing, swimming, and waterskiing. The United States Forest Service maintains three campgrounds—Cougar Crossing, Slide Creek, and Sunnyside—near the reservoir, with opportunities for hiking and picnicking as well as camping. Other campgrounds in the general vicinity include French Pete and Delta. Terwilliger Hot Springs is along Rider Creek just west of the lake.

Cougar Reservoir supports populations of stocked rainbow trout and stocked landlocked Chinook salmon as well as naturally reproducing cutthroat trout. Fishing for rainbow trout, especially in winter, is said to be "fair". The lake also supports bull trout, but it is not legal to catch and keep them.