On a calm spring day, Stump Lake called. There were lots of fishermen at the lake and the boat launches were packed so I went to a rocky hand launch spot at the north end of the lake. This is a less interesting area with highway on the west side and homes along the north shore, so I opted for a loop route around the middle-northern half of the lake.
There were lots of ducks and geese on the lake and a few fishing boats, but it is a large lake, so it was a quiet paddle on a fine spring day. All photos by the author. Click and image for a lightbox view and a caption.
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Some moments of paddling on Stump Lake (and a hike there on the same day) are captured in this YouTube video:
Peterhope Lake Rec Site is on the northeast corner of the lake, 7 km from the turnoff, just past the south end of Stump Lake. A good road leads to the Rec site where there is a dedicated boat launch.
Peterhope has marl shoals and sunken islands, with clear water. Fishermen can catch medium-sized rainbow trout in season. When smoke blanketed the Interior, the lakes in the this area had relatively clear skies. Light winds rippled the lake.
At the southwest corner a narrow channel through marshes leads to a small secluded lake.
This was the highlight of the day, going around the shores of the hidden lake.
I paddled back out, then continued around the lake.
A paddle right around the lake, including channels and bays is about 6.5 km. Peterhope is a favorite lake and I will be back again next year.
Dardanelles Lake lies in a basin in the plateau country south of Roche Lake and east of Stump Lake. The main route is on the Dardanelles Forest Service Road which starts at the north end of Stump Lake. It is a 21 km backroad, gradually climbing to 1260m. The last short section is a rough road (high clearance) to the Dardanelles Lake Recreation Site.
There is a good hand launch at the edge of the lake.
The lake was quiet except for a trio of looms, busy fishing for lunch. There is a small forested island in the lake.
There has been a fair amount of logging in the area, but the shoreline of the lake is mostly forested.
A young loon kept a low profile in the water as the parents fished nearby.
The long road in goes through several ecozones, starting in the grasslands and working up through the upper grasslands- aspen groves to the montane forest.
This is a long route in but if you choose to paddle Dardanelles Lake you may be the only one in the area. The day we drove in there was one dedicated fisherman there on a weekday. He had a camper at the lake’s edge and said he just drove slowly over the rough sections. It would certainly be a quiet spot overnight.
On a morning day with winds predicted to pick up in the afternoon, I headed south to Stump Lake to paddle for a couple of hours, but the winds were already strong by 9:00 in the morning so I had a backup plan ready – to paddle Peterhope Lake instead. Just past the end of Stump Lake is the Peterhope Lake Road. This is a good gravel road and the lake is 7.5 km up the hill. At the end of the lake is the popular North Peterhope Lake Rec Site. There are two good boat launches, easy access for paddlers.
The lake has a few reedy bays to explore. The north end is not used by fishermen since it is too shallow. The dam for the lake is at the northernmost end. At the southwest corner is a narrow channel to a smaller lake, shallow but suitable for canoes or kayaks.
There are some homes along the east and west shores, but it was a quiet spot on a weekday in September. The distance around the lake, including the shallow areas was 6.75 km.
The campsite is a nice one with trailer access so it will be a busy spot on a weekend. We try to avoid paddling at busy fishing times so a weekday or off season would be a good time to choose to explore Peterhope Lake.
On the way back past Stump Lake, the skies were clearing, offering nice views down the lake.
The plan is to paddle the north half of Stump one day and the south half another day, but windy days have been thwarting my plans.
