This was a mildly interesting paddle, but wasn’t exactly what the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists group describes in its paddling guide as “like northern lakes with rocky shores, islands, wetland coves and bays.” It did have all those things I guess, but they were mostly flat and scrubby and not especially scenic.
This end of the lake is dotted here and there with an odd mix of elaborate summer homes, trailers and a few shacks.
We stopped for lunch on on island that looked promising from a distance but was littered with rusty pop cans and chip bags once we got ashore.
The gravel launch is at the far west end of the lake, a couple of miles off Highway 511. Limited parking, no facilities.
On the whole, not recommended. It was a long drive through some of the bleaker parts of Lanark County to get there, and disappointing overall.
The route:
