On a calm, overcast early October afternoon, I picked up the 14ft Widgeon kayak from our storage unit (Sweet Spot storage on Paterson St, Almonte) and headed out to Fergusons Falls. It's about a 20-minute drive to the canoe launch parking lot on the west side (upriver) of the bridge. It's a great canoe launching site with lots of public parking.
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| Mississippi River, 8 km paddle |
I had a great paddle up the Mississippi and around Stafford Island, and back to the Fergusons Falls launch site. The whole distance paddled was about 8 km of calm waters and very light winds (approx. a 2 hr. paddle). It's a tranquil section of the Mississippi without much development. The water level in this section of the river is relatively shallow, so I'm not sure how successful fishing would be. Most of the riverbank is marshy and weedy; there are no rock ledges or any sandy beaches. Just before Stafford I., on the southern shore, I found a small section of rocky shore, which made it easier to go ashore for a break.
The paddle's highlight was a river otter that came to check me out on the backside of Stafford Island. The only other wildlife I saw were birds (C. geese, herons, etc.). I did see a recently built duck blind on the northern side of Stafford Island – so probably a popular spot for geese/duck hunters.
The section upriver from Stafford Island also looks like a good paddle, and it may be better to go downriver from the bridge at County Road 15.
Note: This trip is route #3 in the MVFN paddling route list for Lanark County.
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| The canoe launch dock at Fergusons Falls |
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| Muskrat lodges |
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