When the weather bakes up, we try to get on the water (or hike to altitude).   Our rivers and lakes become destinations and we are situated right in the middle of dozens of paddling routes.   Kayaking in a longer boat (faster/steadier) means finding larger lakes.    Our goal is to have enough lakes and rivers in the area to not have to have repeats within the same year.   When there is no wind, all lakes are fair game, but when wind and weather are present, we have to pick our routes carefully.   Knowing how winds affect individual lakes helps and we can always hug the shoreline or try the kayak sail if conditions warrant it.

Neskonlith Lake is a good destination for a summer paddle.   It is 11.5 km around the shoreline, a 2 to 2.5 hour paddle.   The shoreline is varied and there is lots to see.   The lake sits in a bowl on a north-south line.   Most of the winds of the area run east-west (either way) so cross winds may be seen on the lake, but on my most recent paddle, there was no wind, on a hot day.

The best launch point is is from the boat launch at Neskonlith Provincial Park.   Go past the first camping area for about 200m to the beach launch area.

When I paddled the west shore, there were many western painted turtles sunning on logs in the lake.   When I approached with some noise, they plunged into the lake, but when I glided close, they stretched their long green necks (with yellow stripes) outward, trying to sense if any predators were nearby.   Their orange-scarlet underbellies were on display.    Some of big ones were the slowest to plunge in and they could be seen from a distance.   Dragon flies flitted along the water, landing on floating aquatic plants.

The campground extends along the western shore for a few kilometers.   Douglas fir and red ossier dogwood front the lake.   A few cabins can be seen mid-lake and a small number of homes at the south end.   A great blue heron waded in the shallows and an osprey and red-tailed hawks circled overhead.   Fish jumped everywhere in the gloomy water.   Pollen had covered the water’s surface with a yellow-green hue.   Smartweed (not yet in bloom), aquatic buttercup, and milfoil grew in the shallows.

The east shore sits below rock bluffs so some shade can be found by staying close to the shoreline.   A rocky island makes a good spot for lunch.    The northeast corner of the lake is shallow and sits next to dry grasslands on the Reserve.   There are some bullrush marshes at the north end.   Away from all busy roads, the area is very quiet and other than a couple of small fishing boats, there was no activity on the lake.

There are no fine beaches for good swimming as there is at Johnson Lake, Lac le Jeune, and Paul Lake, but there is a sense of quiet, solitude, and a presence of aquatic life that adds much to a summer afternoon of paddling.