Lake Billy Chinook, Reservoir and National Natural Landmark in central Oregon, United States

Lake Billy Chinook is a three-armed reservoir in Jefferson County, Oregon, filling a canyon of columnar basalt where the Deschutes, Metolius and Crooked Rivers meet behind the Round Butte Dam. The Metolius arm reaches over 17 km, the Deschutes nearly 13 km and the Crooked over 9 km; the lake is 45 km long with almost 116 km of shoreline and a maximum depth of 120 m at the dam.

Construction of the Round Butte Dam began in March 1961, and the first generator went online on August 7, 1964. The reservoir is named for Billy Chinook, a Wasco who scouted for John C. Frémont in 1843. The Warm Springs tribes granted permission for the dam in 1959 for an annual payment of $220,000 and the right to sell fishing licenses; they became part-owners of the powerhouse in 2002.

The reservoir is named after Billy Chinook, a Wasco tribe member who scouted for John C. Frémont in 1843. The Warm Springs tribes granted permission for the dam in 1959 for an annual payment of $220,000 and secured the right to sell fishing licenses on the lake. In 2002 the tribes became co-owners of the powerhouse.

Cove Palisades State Park provides multiple access points with boat launches and a marina offering watercraft rentals for exploring the lake. It is best to plan for enough time to visit the different coves and viewpoints around the shoreline.

The Island is a 208-acre peninsular plateau ringed by cliffs 200 to 700 feet above the water. The BLM closed it to the public in 1997, but educational institutions and conservation groups may visit between May and mid-February. Its striped whiptail lizards descend from animals that escaped a recreational vehicle.