Head south through La Pine. Dont remember the highway number but follow the sign to Reno. When you think you have gone too far, keep goin. You will see signs for the campgrounds. Watch out for the free range cattle. About 1.5 to 1.75 hrs from the turn off at La Pine. Water temp was in the mid to high 40s (which tells me why they were not bitin too good). Stockers were being caught on the bank but that is not what I went for. No kids in the boat = NO STOCKER FISHIN!! I think in about a month the water temp will be much better and get the fish more active. When I woke up on Sunday the 4th to go fishin, it was a cool 26 degrees in LaPine but warmed up to 82 so the water temps should be increasing quickly.
Travel time from McMinnville to La Pine is 3.5 hrs (without traffic), then ad on the 1.5 hrs to the lake. Its a long drive through boring high desert country. Not a trip to take at the last minute. Unimproved camping. No stores anywhere near there. But there is the Cowboy Dinner Tree restraunt.
Almost all the times I have been to Wickiup Res. or East Lake or Paulina lake (even on the 4th weekend) it really was not that bad. Not like Hagg lake on a sunny day.