Wakomao Lake

In very early May, we drove up to Wakomao Lake, just east of Clyde. Access to the south end of the lake can be gained off Highway 18, about 20m to the west of the bridge and Whissell's Castle (you'll know it when you see it...). Parking is DIY. I parked on the south ditch and carried across the road; you can also drop down the steeper slope on the north ditch and park right beside the lake.

The entry is fairly obvious when you get there (follow the tire tracks towards the big bush). There is a nice enough grassy entry. In the past, I've been here with lower water and there is a lip of sand to launch from.

Whissell's Castle (below) is interesting to get a look at (built for bird watching) and you can duck under the highway and paddle down the creek. We went north up the east side of the lake.

Below is pretty representative of the shore. It is a mix of fields and trees, with a mix of reeds and grassy mud at the shoreline. There were a tonne of birds! No deer on this trip, though.

There are a number of islands. The largest island apparently has a camp and perhaps a hammock on it.

 

We paddled about three and a half kms up the lake and, as we were turning around, spotted two eagles and a nest on the east shore.

We then turned around and came back down the centre of the lake to take advantage of the wind.

God, it was hot!

As we approached the south shore, we saw a swam. It honked at us for awhile and then took off in front of us.

All told, a nice enough paddle. We did about 6km in 90 minutes. I suspect the lake is likely 10-12km if you did the whole thing. The water was pretty iced tea coloured easy in the season. This is not bad introductory spot if you want some easy experiencing DIYing parking and entry.