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any advice? paddle/camping Canada Lake/Stewart's Landing

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  • any advice? paddle/camping Canada Lake/Stewart's Landing

    Hi all, new to the area but an avid kayaker and primitive camper. I want to go for an overnight or 2 night paddle camping and saw that Canada Lake near Wheelerville is pretty close to me. Looks like there are several DEC campsites on the map.

    Having never been there, it "looks" like I could put in and park overnights at either Stewart's Landing (south of the lake) or at the public boat launch off W Lake Rd just NE of West Lake (the western lobe of Canada Lake). Thoughts on either of these sites to put in and park overnight?

    It "appears" on satellite maps that I could explore a few streams, which is another reason Canada Lake looks like a decent starting point. But I'm just looking at a map. Any experience you have or advice about these streams would be great. Starting at the top and working clockwise...

    1- The stream between the public boat launch and north to Pine Lake.
    2- The stream up to Mud Lake (the northern one).
    3- Green Lake, and will it go all the way up to Otter Lake?
    4- Frie Flow to Irving Pond and maybe even Bellow's Lake.
    5- In the south there appears to be a small stream that flows south to three small ponds. One of the ponds might be called Mud Lake, not to be confused with the other Mud Lake on the northern side of Canada Lake.
    6- The wide stream in the southwest corner of Canada Lake that leads to the dam at Stewart's Landing. It might actually be called Lilly Lake (that's how the campsites are designated anyway). I see it has small tributaries on either side.
    7- It looks like there is a stream going directly west out of West Lake, toward Burnt Vly.

    I know that's a long list, more than I'll tackle in just three days. Some of those might not be so great or so navigable, but if two or three of them are good paddles, I'd love to hear about it so I can use my time wisely. Obviously I can and will explore on my own, but better to go in with some knowledge from you all than to go in blind.

    Anything else you think I should know about the lakes, streams, or campsites there before I go would be much appreciated. Thanks.
    Last edited by d31u58; 08-19-2021, 11:00 AM.

  • #2
    If you're considering these spots for the sake of convenience, then you may want to look at Good Luck Lake instead. Canada, Green and the general environs have private camps and motorboats...
    Good Luck has quite a few primitive sites, and some more enjoyable paddling on the West Branch of the Sacandaga.
    If you're willing/able to carry, there are a few nice primitive sites on Spectacle.
    There's also a scramble up Good Luck Mt and good views from the cliffs.
    Not much farther up the road, is the Powley-Piseco seasonal use road, and access to Sand Lake (1/2 mile carry) with a couple nice, very secluded primitive sites and a paddling adventure from there to Clockmill Pond.

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    • #3
      Hmmm, ok, that's good to know. So what you're saying is that Canada Lake might be busier, louder, more populated than I envisioned, yeah? I did choose it for convenience, but also because it looked like there were so many options once I set up camp. But if it's pretty busy, that might be less than ideal. Might be better to go with Good Luck, eh? Where it would be quieter. fewer options, but still enough to fill 3 days.

      So if I have this correct, I could park and put in at the kayak access on 10, paddle a very short distance on the Sacandaga and veer off to Good Luck Lake, set up camp and explore the lake. I could head back toward the Sacandaga and go downstream for a while, then return to camp. And on another day I could go back toward the Sacandaga again but go upstream this time and then return. Maybe I could reach Chub, Trout, and/or Brown lakes from the Sacandaga?

      Does all that sound correct?

      Thanks for the advice. If anyone else has thoughts on Canada Lake, please keep them coming, I might need to weigh my options.

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      • #4
        While not an ardent paddler, I think I can provide some input to a few things.

        3- Green Lake, and will it go all the way up to Otter Lake?
        The stream between Green and Otter is very rocky and shallow. There's also a small man-made pond (Fish Hatchery Pond?) between the two bodies of water.


        4- Frie Flow to Irving Pond and maybe even Bellow's Lake.
        Frie Flow has a fairly steep gradient between Canada and Bellows Lakes. Same goes for the stretch between Bellows and Irving. It's very rocky along these stretches, and impassable by boat.


        5- In the south there appears to be a small stream that flows south to three small ponds. One of the ponds might be called Mud Lake, not to be confused with the other Mud Lake on the northern side of Canada Lake.
        The drainage to Mud and Negro Lakes is a beaver dam choked trickle with a fairly steep gradient once you get passed Canada Lake.
        Tick Magnet

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        • #5
          we paddled west, canada, and lily lake last year. on the west side of west lake is a small stream we went up quite a ways, crossing a lot of beaver dams tho. not much boat traffic. canada lake was party central, tho most boaters were parked and swimming. lily lake was quieter and had a couple nice campsites and good swimming. there are some camping sites at stewarts landing, but they are not on the water. the mud pond next to west and canada lake is private.
          like TM said, none of the other lakes mentioned are possible to paddle to. pine lake does have a nice launch area, and once you get to the northern end it's pretty quiet.
          i agree with stripperguy that good luck lake is a good choice, during the week tho, another party central on the wkends. and sand lake on powley-piseco is a good choice, as is E. Canada Creek...

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          • #6
            From good luck, you can paddle into chub and trout lakes, but going upstream on the river, past rte 10 is a chore, doable, but not worth the effort for me. And brown lake can't be reached without a lot of bushwacking.
            I think if you want solitude and can carry your boat, spectacle lake would be a good day trip from good luck.

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            • #7
              At the far end of Spectacle is a waterfall that is the outflow of Dry Lake...it drops directly into Spectacle, it's quite a spectacle, should be even more so with the recent rains. You haven't yet said if you are willing/able to carry.

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