One Night on Fork Lake - 2010
by - Stephen Molson
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This is a short pic-summary of a one nite trip to Fork Lake in mid-June 2010 with a friend. Arriving at 3:30 PM, we parked along the side of the highway just east of the creek and unloaded the cars. We walked our gear down the bank and and through a steep short trail to the landing on Sunday Creek. Once the boats were packed, we returned to the cars and I parked mine overnite at the Spruce Bog parking lot. We pushed off and for the next 25 minutes navigated our way through the meandering creek, including one pull-over across a beaver dam.
Once on Norway Lake, we paddled quickly along its shallow north-east shore, towards the lilypad-choked channel leading to Fork Lake. After another beaver dam pull-over, we arrived on a pleasant looking calm Fork Lake at 4:30 pm. I checked both campsites and settled for the more open and favorable island location. We beached the boats, unloaded, began camp setup and explored the island. Since my friend wasn’t staying the night, and with evening beckoning, we headed out onto the lake to swap park stories and do some fishing. We paddled along the shoreline, had a couple of hits but both fish got off at boatside. It was getting late, so we returned to camp and I saw my friend off as he paddled back up towards Norway Lake.
Common lake inhabitant (yellow perch) an important prey (and predator) species wherever its found.
Common shiner, another important prey species.
I was getting hungry so I started a fire, fed Raven and bbq’ed my burger. I went to bed under a sliver of a moon and fell asleep to the chorus of boisterous bullfrogs that surrounded the island’s weedy shoreline.
Next morning got up at 5:45 a.m. (yup, miracles do happen) to a fog-shrouded lake under a still blue sky.
Sun still behind the eastern shore.
Morning dew on a leaf.
I headed out for a paddle. The sun was rising over the island site.
Two loons out enjoying some fishing in the early mist.
Sharing a ‘tender’ moment?
Didn’t take long before hooking up with the first splake – a fat 4 yr class fish.
Then a 2nd shortly thereafter, same year class.
Sunbeams piercing the mist.