Jacko Lake is a favorite paddling lake each year.    It is close to home and has good access (although the road is a bit rough), and it is a scenic area with grasslands hills around the lake.   A loop around the lake is 4.3 km, but in mid-summer the shallow bays get filled with aquatic plants so a loop around is shorter.

I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction.

There were coots, mergansers, bald eagles, spotted sandpipers, and many blackbirds.

The smoke seemed to be in the valleys and we had clearer conditions up in the Peterson Creek Hills on Jacko Lake.

In August, I try to rotate to different lakes each time, but avoiding smoky spots is the number one priority at this time.    Either way, Jacko Lake is a lovely spot to paddle.