Telford Lake

Cold weather and low water on the Sturgeon has meant not much paddling so far this year. I went out to Telford Lake in Leduc this week. It has been about 10 years since I was last there. 

The best access remains the paddling club on the SW corner of the lake. There is a paved parking lot, a concrete boat ramp, and a pier. Access is off 47th Avenue and then north on 44th Street.

The lake runs east-west and can be pretty windy. Usually the north shore gives some shelter, so head east on the south shore and come back on the north.

The west end of the lake abuts downtown Leduc and has a cool boardwalk. As you go east, it rapidly becomes a prairie lake, with bullrushes, scrub trees, and no ready access to the shore. There is a pathway around the lake--some of it paved.

Overall, a nice paddle (maybe 90 minutes around?) close to the city. There is nothing spectacular about it, but there were lots of water fowl and the occasional jet (it is on the approach to the airport).

Telford Lake, Leduc

Last September, we took a late-season canoe trip to Telford Lake in Leduc. Leduc has several places where one could paddle, including Fred Johns Park on the west side of Highway 2 and Saunders Lake to the east of town.

We chose Telford because it was the site of the canoeing and kayaking events for the 2005 Master’s Games. It also had a fairly easy access point we could spot from the google satellite photos.

Putting In
One advantage of Telford Lake is the presence of the Leduc Boat Club with a nice pier located just north of the intersection of 44th Street and 44th Ave on the south side of the lake. This is clearly the easiest place to put in. Telford is full (and I mean full) of various critters so a beach launch is probably not desirable.

Things to Know
Telford Lake run east-west and is quit long and narrow. This means it can be rather windy, especially later in the day. This can be a good place to practice paddling in a strong wind (especially the west end which tends not to be as rough).

The west end also houses a church and a municipal board walk and park area—not a bad place to remember how to canoe in the beginning of the year. It is worthwhile checking with the Leduc Boat Club to see whether you will be sharing the lake is Dragon Boats or other events (which will restrict pier access).

The shoreline is mostly rushes so there is no easy spot to get in and out. And the lake has quite the collection of leeches and other water critters. I’ve never actually seen the bottom of the canoe covered with so many bugs—it was like paddling in a large slew. You do not want to dump in Telford!