Hyatt Reservoir, body of water

Hyatt Reservoir is a body of water in the Cascade Mountains, surrounded by tall firs and pines, located near the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. It covers about 880 acres with a shoreline stretching roughly 6 miles, offering spaces for fishing, boating, swimming, and walking along the water's edge.

Hyatt Dam was built in 1923 by a local irrigation district to impound Keene Creek and create the reservoir. The United States Bureau of Reclamation rehabilitated the dam in 1960, and the Talent Irrigation District now operates it. Water from Hyatt Reservoir, Little Hyatt Reservoir and Howard Prairie Lake is carried by the Ashland Lateral Canal to Emigrant Lake near Ashland. During the 2020–21 drought the lake fell to 1% capacity.

The name comes from the Hyatt family who were active in the area. Today, visitors see a place used by locals for fishing and outdoor recreation, serving as an important gathering spot for people seeking time in nature away from town life.

The Bureau of Land Management campground is open from late April through October and charges fees; in winter the sites are free but water and amenities are off. Two boat ramps serve the lake, and the Pacific Crest Trail passes by it. Winter brings cross-country skiing and snowmobiling on marked trails.

The Pacific Crest Trail passes by the lake, and hikers arriving on foot can camp at the Bureau of Land Management complex. The reservoir is stocked each year with about 250,000 young rainbow trout, some of which reach 20 inches (51 cm) in length.