Islet Lake

In mid-June, we visited Islet Lake, east of Sherwood Park. Access is on the east side of the lake at the staging area (look for the "no Sunday hunting" sign!). Lots of parking, pit toilets (bring head lamp!), and picnic ties and fire pits.

The launch is accessed behind the big building. It is gravel and is a carry of a couple of hundred feet, including a slight elevation change. Not a hard carry but something to be mindful of. The water was murky (milky Mountain Dew).

The shore on the north and west sides is mostly reeds with mixed forest. The south and east shores have more accessible shoreline with an aspen forest.

There were lots of birds (a pretty common thing here), including 25 pelicans, ducks, loons, cormorants, and heron. We also ran into three beavers who were curious (or irritated?). One surfaced so close to my kayak (between my boat and the paddle blade!) that I got wet when it slapped the water.

It was pretty calm when we were there, which has not been my usual experience at Islet. The islands on the north edge of the lake offer some shelter if it is windy and you can make you way west and then ride the wind back.

We poked around the west end and saw lots of birds, then the wind picked up and we floated into the east bay, where there are cabins.

 

Overall, a nice paddle. Maybe 90 minutes if you do the whole perimeter. 

While we were out in this area, I checked out access to two other lakes. Boag Lake is just on the edge of Sherwood Park, with access off Wye Road. The carry is a couple of hundred feet. I think you could get a boat in but you'd have to bum scoot through a mud flat and getting back out would be the trick. I've looked at this a couple of times and, absent a big increase in the water level or a different access point, I've crossed it off my list of places to paddle.

We also stopped at Antler Lake, east of Sherwood Park on Wye Road. There is presently no public launch point but you might (with higher water) get a boat in where range Road 211 meets Antler Street just right of the Canada Post Box) or a bit further east on Antler Street, where the bridge is. I looked at both of these. At present, the bridge looks like the best bet but, man, you'd really have to want it (mucky, shallow, tricky entry).

Islet Lake

In late July, I popped out to Islet Lake one afternoon. I figured it would be quiet midweek but there was a kids canoeing camp plus a half dozen other paddlers. The launch is small but I managed to sneak my boat through the crowd.

The water was, as usual, like dark tea with a few weeds and a few patches of algae. Nothing too bothersome but not a place to swim!

It was also, as usual, rough, then calm, then rough again.

The good news was that the pace was lousy with birds. There were 30 pelicans on the water or in the air at one point. Plus loons, shore birds, and ducks.

Most interesting were the large number of cormorants that were drying their feathers in various dead trees around the edge of the lake (50 at least).

Overall, a nice enough paddle. Not super interesting and no wildlife beyond the birds. The staging area facilities were nicely maintained and it was nice to see so many kids using it.

Islet Lake

We popped out to Islet Lake for a late afternoon paddle recently. A rain shower gave way to bright blue skies just as we pulled in.

The staging area and boat luncheon the east side of the lake includes pit toilets, fire pits, picnic tables and a picnic shelter. The boat launch is 500 feet or so down a trail immediately behind the truck in the picture above.

There is a bit of an elevation drop as you walk towards the lake. The launch is just a small beach with a coupe of picnic tables. The lake was a bit green at the end of summer. 

Usually we see a fair bit of wildlife here but today it was just waterfowl. The wind was really uneven, with calm period (shown) intermixed with a really stiff breeze (had to put camera away and paddle).

The islands make for an interesting bit of poking around (and welcome wind break).

While the lake isn't big or very deep (maybe 90-120 minutes to paddle the edge, we cut the trip short as the waves were giving Jess trouble. They were fun enough but it was hard to track very effectively and we were getting pretty wet.

I'd say this is more of a spring paddle, when animals have young about as the water isn't quite so green or maybe an autumn paddle when birds are migrating and there has been a good frost.

Islet Lake

About 30km east of Sherwood Park on Wye Road (which becomes Highway 630) is Islet Lake.  Access is from Township Road 200, which goes north off Highway 630 just as 630 bends south. Islet Lake is part of the sprawling Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area.



The parking lot has pit toilets, water, a cooking shelter and picnic tables. Beach access requires a 200-foot carry that descends about 30 feet to the water. The gravel trail to the lake takes off from behind the cooking shelter and runs west. Eventually you come out to this sand and gravel beach.

As you can see from the map above, the lake has some islands, the biggest of which is the one below. The last time we were here (2000 or 2001?) we saw a huge beaver on the east shore.

The weather was lovely (30 degrees, no clouds, slight breeze). The water is pretty murky (can't see the bottom of your paddle) and Jenn picked up a small leech getting in or out.

There are lots of views like the one above, with the sun sparkling off the ripples. Apologies for the streak on my camera lens. There were about 10 other cars in the lot on Sunday at 11 am, most with boats. The lake is large enough that we rarely saw anyone else and there are no motorized boats.

 There are beaver lodges, deadheads galore and we saw lots of water fowl and a pair of hawks.

Overall, a nice prairie paddle with lots of time to appreciate the huge skies. If you are looking for a beach, however, you might prefer Miquelon Lake Provincial Park to the south. I hope to put in there later this summer.