Rainy, Windy, Sunny Bass Lake Paddle
Kathleen Imre | Published on 6/15/2026
Trish, Howie, Jacqui and I had hoped for a dry and calm weather window among all the pop-up cells for our circuit of Bass Lake. We thought we would be safe at our 1:30 start time, but apparently the weather sprites had other plans for us! We launched in light mist and paddled in drizzle for awhile, but managed to avoid most of the wind by altering our course here and there. This was a deja vu moment for us, as the same thing happened to us during last year's Bass Lake paddle! By the time we reached Camp Carvela, however, the skies had cleared somewhat, there was just a light breeze and it was quite pleasant. With all the snow and rain the past 2 seasons, the far south end of the lake actually had sufficient water, and we could paddle rather than pole! We saw four Trumpeter Swans. The yellow and white pond lilies were in bloom. We saw a mother loon on her nest at the edge of Round Island, and her mate was swimming nearby. As we made the final turn in the main body of the lake, the winds picked up quickly, and, to the southwest, a very scary big, black cloud had formed and was moving toward us. We ditched our plan to hug the shore for a leisurely paddle back to the launch and paddled as hard and fast as we could. The wind was crazy, and whitecaps had formed across from the boat launch. It was an adrenaline-fueled work-out to get back! We had just gotten off the water when a streak of lightning appeared across the lake. Amazingly, the rain held off while we loaded our vehicles. Trish had commented that she had earned an ice cream for dessert that evening, and I think we all felt the same!
Pics courtesy of Trish
Howie and Kathleen
Kathleen and Jacqui
Howie and Jacqui
Trumpeter Swans
Jacqui
The very scary black cloud
