Green Lake has clear green water and a forested shoreline.   It is a marl lake, a lime-rich mud-bottom and gravel post-glacial lake, common to a number of the larger BC Interior lakes.   The Marble Range stands above the Cariboo to the west and silts and sediments rich in calcite and lime have worked their way into the lake basin by glacial scouring, deposition, and run-off.   The result is the green-blue water of the lake, especially in the shallow areas.   The lake is 17 km from end to end and a paddle around the whole shoreline would be 45 km, so we focused on the southeast end of the lake for this trip.

Although private homes line about half of the southern shore of the lake, there are 13 lake access lanes for boaters to launch canoes or kayaks.  There are also BC Parks campgrounds and lakeshore lands so many more launch spots are possible.   One of the best spots is at the end of the Green Lake South Road where there is good parking and a hand-launch spot at the edge of the forested shoreline of the east end of the lake.

Some deeper bays allow for exploration.   We paddled through a narrow channel to get into a hidden back bay.   The islands and bays of the east end provide some interesting paddle exploration areas.

Weekends can be busy in summer, but for the most part the lake is fairly quiet on weekdays and off-season.   The South Cariboo is relatively flat providing wider skies for afternoon views across the lake and for evening sunsets.

Winds arise in the late morning in most Interior lakes so paddling is best done in the morning or evenings.

Many of our lakes are over-built with private homes with little access to the shoreline for visitors.   Large powerboats and other loud noise-makers dominate the open waters.   Some of the lakes become trophic, unhealthy for water plants and animals because of increased phosphorus and fecal coliform from shoreline degradation, seeping septic fields, cattle manure, and run-off rich in fertilizers.   But Green Lake has so far been able to avoid the worst ravages of overuse.   For now it is still a place to enjoy the lake-waters, the forest, and quiet of rural areas.

We explored the shoreline of the Boyd Bay Wetlands at the western end of the lake in the previous year and we will return to paddle there in the next year.   Over time we will complete all 45 km of shoreline at Green Lake.