The 310-acre Prineville Reservoir, 17 miles south of Prineville on Route 27, was built for irrigation and flood control. A popular year-round boating and fishing lake, it is famous for its huge bass and is also stocked with rainbow trout.

Just downstream from the reservoir dam is a winding stretch of the Crooked River that offers some of the best fly-fishing in the state, in an incredibly scenic atmosphere beneath basalt rimrock cliffs. This section of the river is also dotted with a series of campgrounds, all of which are good places to camp and to fish.

This is also a good place to learn to fly-fish; it’s easy to wade into the water away from streamside brush. Nonanglers can climb the short trail up Chimney Rock (from the Chimney Rock campground) to the top of the rimrock. From there, it’s possible to walk along the ridge all afternoon.

Ochoco Reservoir, six miles east of Prineville on U.S. 26, is a favorite recreational spot for locals, with year-round fishing, boating, and camping.