Most visitors to the lakes can find beaver, river otter, black-tailed deer, osprey, bald eagles, and one of the largest remaining populations of Western painted turtles in Oregon. Access to the wildlife area is either by the Interlakes Trail (paved and universally accessible) or by boat. The starting point for both is the parking area on Marine Drive. The trail is less than a mile long, round trip, and has two wildlife viewing platforms. There is a portable toilet at the trailhead. Non-motorized boats are allowed.

For more information, visit Metro Parks and Friends of Smith & Bybee Lakes.

This natural area is the largest protected wetland within an American city even though it is surrounded by port terminals, warehouses, and other commercial developments. In 1990, the Portland Planning Commission approved a management plan for the lakes. They determined that Smith Lake would be maintained at a fairly constant water level and developed for low-intensity water recreation, such as fishing and canoeing. Bybee Lake, on the other hand, would be allowed to rise and fall with the tides and seasons and would be kept as an environmental preserve.