Detroit Lake is a reservoir on the North Santiam River near Detroit, Oregon, created in 1953 by Detroit Dam as part of the Willamette Valley Projects. It stores water for Salem and nearby communities while also providing flood control, power generation, water conservation, and recreation. Before inundation, the site included the roadbed of the unfinished Oregon Pacific Railroad, whose tracks remained to Idanha until removal in the 1950s for the Detroit and Big Cliff reservoirs. Managed by the United States Forest Service, the lake has become a major western Oregon recreation area, though its seasonally shifting water levels can disrupt boating, marinas, and the local economy.