Stump Lake is a great lake to paddle when it is not too windy.   If paddlers just opt to drive there without checking the forecasts, they may be facing difficult conditions since it is a windy area, a favorite for windsurfers.   Generally speaking it is calmer in the morning and winds pick up by 11:30 in the morning.   It is always best to do a final check on the weather forecast the night before when wind speeds are also provided.   The best launch spot on Stump Lake is halfway down the lakeshore on the west side.

Since the lake is 19km around the shoreline, we opted to do the south end one day (link) and the north end another day.

Paddling up the eastern shore, looking back at the western hills, summer-yellowed grassland slopes frame the basin of the lake.

A few homes are located on the lake, but most are set back, higher up the slope on level ground.   On the west side are reedy shallows below the highway.

Although winds were forecast to arrive in the afternoon, the day was sunny and calm during the morning paddle.   Ducks, blackbirds, and marsh wrens were in motion in the reed beds at the north end and in shallow bays.   Ospreys hunted overhead, ready to dive, beating the fishermen to a catch.   Dragonflies and blue damselflies flitted over the lake’s surface, combing for the most recent hatch, caddisflies newly emerging on the shoreline.   The clear water of the lake is a refreshing change from the darker, millfoil-choked lakes of the highlands.

horsetails on the shoreline

launch at N50 21.791 W120 22.760

For kayakers who want a longer paddle with easy shoreline access, a nice setting and not too many boats, Stump Lake is a great choice.   Just check the wind forecast first.