Advice: Woods Island Lake Champlain!

Thanks in advance! Any advice about travel to adjacent islands, and best places to land on Woods Island State Park, Lake Champlain. We are experienced big lake and ocean paddlers, but any comments appreciated from those there before.



Evan

Good web site!
http://www.lakechamplaincommittee.org/



I paddled around Valcour Island on Saturday and it was great. Champlain is beautiful and huge. Coves, islands fantastic scenery. I’m about an hour and fifteen from the lake but it is worth the drive.


Any good for a rec kayak?
Can I tempt the Lake Champlain area in a Pungo 120 rec kayak? I’m an hour away from Plattsburgh (my father lives there) but I wondering if it may be more suited to sea kayas?

There were a few
open boats on Saturday close to shore and they seemed to be doing fine. The weather would need to be calmish.

Non-sea kayaks in Lake Champlain
I’d suggest anything less than a full sea kayak, with a paddler accustomed to waves, stay in sheltered areas on this lake. While I’ve been on it days that were easy all day, you need to watch the wind. It often gets north or south winds that come up late morning and pick up until late afternoon, in some places with a significant fetch, and open areas can easily hit 3 to 4 ft for a while. We’ve also had to climb thru some pretty steep surprises to get in or out of a bay, and been in more open areas in a sailboat looking at stuff that I’d no way try in a kayak.



The good news is that the lake is more predictable than many bodies of water, according to our sailing friends who are on it every almost weekend. Once the wind starts blowing out of the north or south you can figure on it staying that way thru the day, with fairly evenly increasing and decreasing winds at each end.

Woods Island and Lake Champlain
See this:



http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/woodsisland.cfm



for Woods Island in particular and the “Park Finder” at the top for other parks on Lake Champlain.



The NOAA forecast at:



http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/box/fcsts/ALBRECBTV.html



is always a good thing to check but many days including Saturday can be a religious experience in any canoe or kayak.

Thanks! amigos
Thanks everyone. I also understand that a trip to Knight’s Island can be quite excellent, as there is a ferry that can save one’s behind if things worsen there too!



Evan