Devil's Lake

In mid-July, we tried to beat the heat with an early morning paddle at Devil's Lake (also called Matchayaw Lake). The water was looking good despite the heat wave and the launch with pit toilets and garbage cans) was quiet and in good shape.

There was  bit of high altitude smoke that gave the light a weird cast.

The lake was glassy calm for our whole paddle.

There were lots of pelicans on the lake plus the usual waterfowl.

I was keen to try to get up the inflow of the Sturgeon but the weeds, water levels, and some debris meant that was a bust.

I fidget pretty close to some pelicans, though.

We decided to try the Sturgeon River outflow, despite the weeds in the NW end of the lake.

We made it about a kilometre past the bridge before paddling in heavy weeds became tedious and we turned around.

I did get into Kilimi creek but that dead-ended in a big beaver dam so we decided to just finish the circuit of the southern shore and head back. There were the first signs of an algae bloom along the western shore of the lake (particles in the water).

The other boat launch (in Bilby) looked servicable.

A pretty nice paddle. It was +26 when we got off at 10:30. What a heat wave!

Devil's Lake

In early September, I drove out to Devil's Lake (also known as Matchayawn Lake). It has been a year or so since I was last out here My hope was to explore the creek that flows into the lake on the west side.

The boat launch on the east side of the lake was in good shape, with the brush cut back and a pit toilet, You can drop right on the edge of the lake. The road was also being rebuilt and graded. The lake, however, was having an algae bloom.

I knew the gravel launch was shallow and firm enough that I could get in and out dry footed so I decided to go despite the algae (sometimes it disappears as soon as you are away from shore).

The water was so-so in the middle of the lake. No wind and a beautiful autumn day though. A few ducks were paddling about.

I eventually found the mouth of the creek (it was pretty weedy on the western edge) and paddled up the creek a couple of hundred feet. Then there was this beavers dam. I could have likely gotten around it but I didn't want to get wet.

So back out to the lake, I went and then I toured the south side.

The contrast between looking down and looking into the distance was pretty striking!

I don't think I have every done the south shore of the lake. Usually I go to the north, under the bridge and down the sturgeon a ways. There is another launch in Bilby along the south side.

I had the lake to myself!

Overall, Devils Lake is a nice short paddle (maybe 90 minutes if you did the whole perimeter and poked around underneath the bridge). The algae bloom was just one of those unfortunate things that happens on prairie lakes.

Devil's Lake

We popped out to Devil's Lake out by Onoway last weekend. It was a gorgeous day and the lake was good. The boat launch (below) was in good shape. It was a bit busy when we arrived around lunch but there was plenty of parking. The lake was about the same level as last fall but, according to one fisherman, several feet below last spring?

We paddled along the north shore towards the outlet into the Sturgeon River.

There was lots of room to go under the bridge (not so last spring, said the fisherman). 

We floated maybe a kilometre downstream past beaver dams and such. Lots of ducks and shorebirds and red-winged blackbirds.

There was evidence of beavers but none to be seen. We did find a muskrat back in the lake.

And two pelicans, some marbled godwins (not pictured) and a lot of ducks and coots.

Overall, a super nice day with no wind.

Definitely worth the trip if the weather is good. A few more weeks until the trees are fully leafed out,

Devil's Lake

In late September, I dragged the kid out to Devil's Lake (Matchayaw Lake) northwest of Edmonton. The fall colours were beautiful but it was quite overcast so the colours don't show in the photos very well.

Access is off Highway 37 near Onoway, east on township road 550. Go past the Jehovah's Witness hall, over the bridge and it is on the right. There is a decent sized parking lot, you can unload at the water's edge, and there is a pit toilet.

The boat launch itself is a nice bed of gravel and the entry was really clean. The water had a bit of algae to it but was fine.

We paddled along the north shore over to where the Sturgeon river outflow is under the bridge.

The river was shallow but navigable and we paddled about a km towards St. Albert and saw lots of waterfowl and heron.

We then returned to the lake and did most of the west shore before cutting across the southern end back to the launch.

The water was like glass for us, which was amazing. The land is pretty open to the west towards Onoway, so I would imagine the lake would get a bit rough if there was much breeze.

There was also a lot of gun fire while we were on the water. I don't know if people were shooting birds (sounded like shotguns) or if there is a gun range nearby.

I'd love to go back on a clearer day; this was a much nicer paddle than I had expected.