Has anyone had any experiences (good or bad) paddling Lake Wallenpaupack in PA or the Wallenpaupack River? Is there a public launch on the lake or river?
The lake
What I can tell you about the Lake is that PP&L built it to be a huge lake in NE PA. It has lots of motor craft and the winds can make the chop pretty bad. There are several places where you could lauch, if you so chose. With over 100 miles of shoreline you should have difficulty finding where to launch. I have never been on the river, so I have nothing to report about it.
Best of luck,
Clyde
Route 590 off Route 6 in Tafton
The lake is in my neighborhood. There are several access points but the easiest one is in Tafton on Route 590. If you’re coming West on Route 6, make the left at the light for 590. The access is on the left in a little over a mile. The lake is run by PPL power utility. Coming East on 6 you’ll pass their visitor center on the left before you get to 590. You’ll need a permit or registration.
Suntan
Last Labor Day
My wife and I paddled on it, launching from the beach in front of our friend’s cabin. The lake is huge and our hosts told us that most weekends the place is a ZOO with all the motorized traffic which creates some pretty textured waters. The day we were there it was overcast and a little on the cool side. Perfect weather for kayaking!! It kept all the motorheads off the lake and we had ideal conditions as a result. There was a little bit of a chop but that just made it more fun for us.
Lot’s of docks!
My experience with the lake was when we were sailing a 20" Catamaran. When everyone puts out their docks … the shore line becomes dock city. We finally found a Motel with a nice jetty that we could use for private launching off our own padded ramps. Wallenpaupack powerboat traffic is not nearly as bad as Beltsville Dam.
We prefer Lake Nockamixon near Quakertown as it has a 20 HP restirction and no private docks. Most powerboaters are fisherman and not joy riders. Lake Nockamixon Park also has nice park rental cabins.
Impala Bob