Wakomao Lake

In late May, I drove up to Clyde to put in at Wakamao Lake (about 7 miles east of town on Highway 18). I've been eyeing this lake for awhile but only recently saw some good instructions about how to get on it. Access is a bit DIY. Parking is on the shoulder of hHghway 18, just west of the bridge (yellow boxes below).

Googlemaps doesn't convey the slope of the ditches very well. The southern box is a fairly gentle slope; the northern box is a steeper angle and you need to get to the bottom to park. I parked on the south side to check out the northern slope (steep but manageable), the parking space (firm the day I was there) and access point (really good) on foot and eventually just carried the boat a couple of hundred feet across the road rather than move my car. Highway traffic was light so it is no problem to get across.

The launch is a small, sandy beach that looks like the access point for ice fishing in the winter (tire ruts). The water is pretty yellowy-green so I opted to get in and out with dry feet. I would bet this is more of a spring paddle before the weeds get started. In places on the west side, the lake had a very swampy smell.

I made it half way up the lake along the west shore before I decided to turn around. Lots of birds and some beavers but otherwise pretty uninteresting.

There are a number of islands. Some are low and boggy while others have some height and trees. The lake is shallow at the edges and around the islands so it can require a bit of looking to find a place to take out dry footed.

The eastern side of the lake is hillier and has more trees and there were a lot of deer here. Some eating in the forest and at the edges of the fields. Others were frolicking in the water.

At the south end of the lake, there is a bridge that lets you access a slow, winding stream. This eventually becomes the Red Water River and dumps into the North Saskatchewan, but that would be a multi-day paddle, I'd bet.

To the east of the bridge is this tower. I'm told it was built for bird watching. I gives off a bit of a haunted lighthouse vibe, to be honest.

Just as I was about to pull out, this duck paddled right up to me, apparently unconcerned (or dozing?). It got within arms reach before it figured out I was a person and then it freaked out.

Overall, a nicer paddle that I would have guessed. Thanks to the folks on Facebook for the tips about accessing it.