Pat Lake and Jacko Lake are usually the first two lakes to be ice-free in spring so they get a lot of fishermen early in the season, but once all lakes are open, Pat Lake can be a quiet spot in summer.   We can access the lake from the Tunkwa Lake Road or from the Six Mile road above Tobiano.   Six Mile Road was once the Trans Canada Highway so there are still some asphalt sections on the way through.    When Pat Lake and Morgan Lake were dammed, dirt road bypasses were cut.    They were once rough, but they are now reasonable roads for most cars.   i parked and launched at the east end of the lake on this late summer day.

The launch is the old road bed which used to go along the north side of Pat Lake.

While I was paddling around the west end of the lake, an osprey dove and caught a fish.   As it winged across the lake, a bald eagle attacked and the fish was dropped.   The osprey turned to safety and the eagle continued to hunt and after a few circuits above, swooped to catch a fish.

The bald eagles showed little care of me in my kayak, but it kept its eyes on me as it soared above the lake.

On the northern side of the lake in the reeds were a number of logs, many of which had western painted turtles sunning on them.   Turtles will plunge into the lake if we make noise so a quiet approach is needed to spot of photograph them.   All three lakes in the Six Mile area have turtles.

The route around the shoreline is only 2 km so I paddled once counter-clockwise, then turned the kayak and paddled around the lake clockwise for a second loop.   Both Jacko and Pat Lake have grassland hills rising above the lake, a more scenic setting than forested hills for most lakes.

We enjoy hiking this area too, but we also return to paddle it once a year to enjoy a quiet sojourn on the lake.   Ospreys, eagles, loons, dragonflies, and turtles are a bonus

More Information:

• Pat Lake
• Six Mile Hills Loop