Warner Lakes

Warner Lakes
Warner Lakes below Hart Mountain scarp
Location	Lake County, Oregon, United States
Coordinates	42°27′00″N 119°51′04″W / 42.44988°N 119.85106°W / 42.44988; -119.85106Coordinates: 42°27′00″N 119°51′04″W / 42.44988°N 119.85106°W / 42.44988; -119.85106
Type	Endorheic lake
Primary inflows	Twentymile Creek; Deep Creek; Honey Creek
Primary outflows	None
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	50 mi (80 km)
Max. width	5 mi (8.0 km)
Surface area	90,000 acres (360 km2)
Max. depth	14 ft (4.3 m)
Surface elevation	4,475 ft (1,364 m) at Hart Lake

The Warner Lakes are a chain of shallow lakes and marshes in the Warner Valley of eastern Lake County, Oregon, United States. The lakes extend the length of the valley, covering approximately 90,000 acres (360 km²).

The lakes are named in honor of Captain William H. Warner, a topographical engineer who explored Warner Valley before being killed by Indians in 1849. The Warner Lakes and surrounding wetlands support a wide variety of birds and other wildlife. Much of the land surrounding the lakes is owned by the public and is administered by the Bureau of Land Management. These public lands provide recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, bird watching, and camping.

The Warner Valley is in south-central Oregon. It is approximately 60 miles (97 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. Most of the valley is in Lake County, however the north end of the valley extends about 10 miles (16 km) into Harney County. It is an alluvial basin containing numerous lakes, remnants of a single great lake that covered the valley floor up to 200 feet (61 m) deep during the epoch. Today, steep cliffs rise above a chain of endorheic lakes and interconnected wetlands, known collectively as Warner Lakes. The valley has two regions commonly referred to as South Warner Valley and North Warner Valley. The two areas transition between Crump Lake and Hart Lake at a point where the valley narrows to about 5 miles (8.0 km) in width.

Native Americans used the Warner Valley's lakes and wetland for thousands of years before the first white explorers arrived. There are scores of petroglyphs near the lake shores, some are estimated to be 12,000 years old. The Greaser Petroglyph Site, in the South Warner Valley, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.