Coffenberry Lake is the largest lake located in Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon, which is about a 30 minute drive from Astoria, Oregon. The charm of this lake is that it is
big, but not too big, and is circled by a great paved trail, which is perfect for hiking and/or biking as pictured to the right. Nearly the entire state park is covered with paved trails and offer amazing adventures in their own right. Coffenberry Lake is seasonally stocked with rainbow trout and even a few steelhead, which is a type of salmon, can be seen swimming in the shallows. It is a great place to fish if you are a fisherman, but make sure you get an Oregon fishing license before you attempt it. The lake is surrounded by old-growth trees laden with a beautiful grey lichen (moss type growth), and lily pad fields pop up here and there along the shore. During the summer the water is perfect to swim in, and paddle boats can be rented from the beach. There are lots of picnic benches and public restrooms and it is quite easy to spend the entire day enjoying everything this location has to offer. Ask anybody how to get to Fort Stevens State Park for directions from wherever you are coming from, and once there drive past the check-in place for the campground located in the park, continue straight from the 4-way stop sign, and make the first left into the main parking lot for the lake.UPDATE!!!!! - There have been a lot of hits on this website regarding Coffenberry Lake, so I thought I would add a couple more tips regarding this location for you vacationers out there regarding Coffenberry Lake specifically. If you want to fish Coffenberry Lake you will need a lightweight fishing pole to start with. The best times of day to go are sunrise and late afternoon through dusk. You cannot legally fish more than one hour after dark. You will need a fishing license,which can be purchased at the KOA campground across the road from the Fort Stevens State Park entrance you probably took to get to the lake. You can try fly fishing with mixed success but take my word for it.... nothing works better than a couple red salmon eggs fished right off the bottom. Get the salmon eggs from any corner store in the area, even the KOA, and lightly weight the line.... just enough to cast it out there and hold the bottom. Some people tend to get crazy loading the small hook up with salmon eggs, but two is all you need. Then just put your pole down and wait for it to start jumping..... set the hook and you are having trout for dinner! Last time I checked the daily limit was 16, but make sure you check for yourself when you get your license as I'm not 100% sure about that. Coffenberry Lake is amply stocked and provides for endless fishing fun. Enjoy!
Jeremy's Insider Tips-
Bring a swimsuit and a towel in case you want to test the water out. You may also have to pay a small fee to enter the park during the summer, but it isn't more than a few dollars. The best bait for catching trout at Coffenberry Lake is using salmon eggs, lightly weighted off the bottom. Bobbers, spinners, and worms are a waste of time. Fly fishing also brings pretty good catch rates. If you have your own small boat there is a good time to be had motoring slowly around the lake. Cameras and a light jacket are always a good idea any time you venture out anywhere in the area.
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