Sparks Lake is a natural body of water near the crest of the central Cascade Range in Deschutes County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The lake is about 26mi west-southwest of Bend along the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway in Deschutes National Forest. Named for a 19th-century rancher, "Lige" Sparks, the water body is a remnant of a bigger lake that has partly filled with sediment and vegetation.Many of the region's mountain peaks, such as Mount Bachelor, Three Sisters, and Broken Top, are visible from the lake. Other lakes in the vicinity include Todd, Elk, Hosmer, Blow, and Doris.HydrologyLike many lakes in the region, Sparks Lake does not have any visible outflow. However, the surface level of the lake is below the regional water table; as such, the lake does not technically form an endorheic basin, and thus feeds springs in the surrounding area. The lake and its basin is generally believed to be part of the Deschutes River drainage area, part of the greater Columbia River basin.
