Peterhope Lake
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 tooshallow. 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.
I stopped at the lakeshore to look out over the lake. Its always windy on Stump 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. Or maybe I should try a different activity?