Clear Lake and Romeo Lake, west of Barrhead

Back in mid-June, I visited Clear Lake, located about 20 minutes NW of Barrhead. Access is through Clear Lake Park. The park has a beach, boat launch, swimming area and dock, playground, pit toilets, fire pits, and picnic tables. You can camp there and you can park within 20m of the water (slight downhill slope). You can see my truck in the photo below to get an idea of entry.

The water was, as advertised, clear and the bottom was a silty sand. I had to wade out a few feet to get enough depth to float.

The other entry is the boat launch (on your left as you drive in).

Clear Lake has a very alpine vibe, like Obed or McLeod lakes with a periodically reedy or bullrush edge giving way to muskeg or mixed forest behind. It was cloudy the day I was there and the photos don't really do the lake justice. 

There were lots of beaver lodges.

This one was huge!

Below is a pretty typical shot of wbat you get in the edge. The lake is about 1.8km long (running east-west) and maybe 400m wide. I'd say the perimeter is maybe 5km and it took me about 80 minutes to do the edge. I would have paddled it a second time in the other direction if the weather had been better.

There were some nice water flowers.

The birdwatching was very good. Below, an osprey getting chased by a red-winged black bird.

There were two loons, pelicans, and lots of ducks.

Over in the east end (which is swampier) was this dock that appears to have drifted off on someone.

Beside it was this bent paddle and the bow of a sunken kayak. Maybe they got caught over winter?

Overall, a nice lake. The drive was longish from Edmonton (about an hour and 40 minutes). If you wanted a twofer, Thunder Lake is immediately south.

Romeo Lake

On the way back, I stopped in to scout access to Romeo Lake. There is a public boat launch at the Peavine Romeo Lake Hall on the north end of the lake. It is the usual gravel/grass road, down a hill.

Eventually you get out onto the flats. There is room to drop your boat and turn around. Parking is back up at the hall.

There is a cement ramp but you could also get in on the gravel on either side. The water looks good in mid-June but there were already extensive lily beds growing near the shore.

The lake itself is very much a prairie lake, with few trees on the edge and cultivated fields or ranch land all the way around it. It is about 3km long (north-south) and 1 km wide. 

The lake didn't look super interesting to me but there might be good bird watching along the reedy shoreline.