On October 7, 2026, the Oregon State Marine Board reported Henry Hagg Lake at 34% capacity. The same report said the Eagle Landing boating access, also called A Ramp, and C Ramp each had more than 25 feet of water over the bottom of the ramp. So the lake looks low from Scoggins Valley Road and the shoreline is wide and bare, but you can still launch a boat from both ramps.
That's the pattern for October at Hagg Lake right now. The summer setup is packed away, and the lake keeps working. The rentals are gone and one restroom is closed. Meanwhile the fish are being restocked, the bass are feeding before winter and the park gate still opens at sunrise.
Low Water, With Room to Spare
Boaters care more about the depth at the ramps than the percentage, and the Marine Board's Opportunities and Access Report gives both. At 34% capacity, each ramp still had more than 25 feet of water at the bottom on October 7. That number is one day's snapshot, not a seasonal low point. The report is updated regularly, so it's a quick check before you hitch up the trailer.
Washington County lists two boat launch facilities on its fishing and boating page, Eagle Point and C-Ramp. If you launch from Eagle Point this fall, the restroom and drinking fountain there are closed indefinitely for utility upgrades. Portable toilets are on site, but there's no drinking water, so bring your own.
The boating rules don't change with the season. There's a 200-foot slow, no-wake zone around the whole shoreline. Boats east of the buoy line have to travel counterclockwise and stay at or under 35 mph. With fewer boats out, that loop gets roomier, but the rules are the same as in July.
October Is When the Fish Come Back
The deep water at the ramps matters most to anglers, and this month is a big one for them. On the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's weekly trout stocking schedule, Henry Hagg Lake is down for 4,100 trout the week of October 19 through October 23, 2026. That's 3,000 legal-size fish and 1,100 trophy fish.
ODFW lists the week, not the exact day, and the Monday date marks the start of that week. The agency also warns that stocking can move a week earlier or later for logistical reasons, or shift to another waterbody if conditions are poor, and that the database isn't always updated in time. The weekly Recreation Report has any changes.
Bass are on the move too. ODFW's October 1, 2026 Willamette Zone fishing report says bass feed more actively in fall before winter. It suggests fishing near structure and cover, such as points, riprap and other hard edges that are still underwater at the current pool. When the water drops, some summer structure ends up high and dry. What's still submerged is where that advice applies.
What Closes After Labor Day, and What Stays Open
The fall changes at Hagg Lake are smaller than the empty parking lots make them look. Here's where things stand in early October 2026:
- Park hours: Washington County says its parks are day-use only and open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Recreation.gov's overview of the park also says it's open seven days a week.
- Public kayak and SUP rentals: The county runs these during high season, Memorial Day through Labor Day, so they're done for 2026.
- Group rentals: Still available all year, according to the same amenities page.
- Eagle Point facilities: Restroom and drinking fountain are closed indefinitely, with portable toilets available.
- Parking: Since July 1, 2026, a regular daily pass costs $10, up from $7, and a regular annual pass costs $65, up from $60. Senior and veteran passes went from $5 to $8 daily and from $40 to $55 annually.
One source doesn't match. The federal Recreation.gov overview also calls the park year-round, but another section of that page says facilities open in late April and close in late October. The county runs the park and lists year-round day-use hours on its park hours page, so that's the better source for gate times this fall.
A Run at C-Ramp and a Loop With a Gap
October also has an event on the lake. Tualatin Valley Creates lists a Haunted 5K Run/Walk at Hagg Lake's C-Ramp on Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is $15, and children five and under are free.
That same Saturday, Saffron Fields Vineyard at 18748 NE Laughlin Road in Yamhill hosts its White Pinot Fest, with 12 or more wineries for $45, according to the Willamette Valley Wineries Association's October roundup. Put together, this month's calendar near the lake looks like this:
- October 10–11: Abbey Road Farm's Oktoberfest, from the same wine-country roundup.
- October 17: Haunted 5K at C-Ramp in the morning, then White Pinot Fest in Yamhill.
- Week of October 19: 4,100 trout scheduled for Hagg Lake.
The loop trail has an open question. The county's trail brochure describes it as 13.6 miles, with 11.6 miles of dirt and gravel and two paved miles. Bikers yield to hikers and runners, and e-bikes aren't allowed. In January 2026, the Northwest Trail Alliance reported that roughly one mile of the loop was still closed after an uprooted tree took out a bridge.
On January 24, 2026, eight volunteers cleared the reroute corridor, dug the last quarter mile of tread down to mineral soil and started benching the more complex sections at the north end. That's the most recent public update we found, so we can't confirm whether the full loop is open in October. A sturdy reroute that brings back a continuous loop is the goal the alliance described, and its site is the place to watch for news on the reopening.
The Dam Project Runs on a Long Timeline
The Scoggins Dam project, the other long-running story at Hagg Lake, won't affect the lake this fall or for years after. An April 2026 update in a Clean Water Services advisory committee packet says the Bureau of Reclamation stopped the earlier dam-safety project on April 15, 2025. Reclamation is now studying structural options focused on the spillway, aimed at reducing risk while keeping the reservoir's storage.
The revised schedule in that Clean Water Services packet has a long runway:
- Value planning: March to April 2026
- Corrective action design: December 2027 to September 2029
- Final design: June 2029 to February 2034
- Construction: October 2034 to February 2039
The same update notes $1 million for Scoggins Dam in the appropriations bill approved January 15, 2026. We didn't find a newer status report. On the schedule as published, construction is about eight years away and isn't set to start before October 2034.
If being close to Hagg Lake is part of what you love about Gaston, or part of what you're looking for in your next home, I'm always happy to talk through the westside's smaller towns and what daily life looks like in each one. Robyn Schamberger knows these back roads well and is glad to help you think through a move that fits how you actually spend your weekends. Robyn Schamberger | Let's Connect
