Last fall, I had paddled upriver to Stafford Island from Furgusons Falls (see 2018 post). This year, I wanted to complete that section of the Mississippi River by paddling downriver to Stafford Island from the bridge at County Road 15 (CR15).
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| Mississippi R with my GPS track (10 km) |
Before launching my kayak (Widgeon 14) at the gravel boat ramp at CR15, I took a drive to check out the launch possibility at CR511 and below Playfairville. I did not find any easy public launch spots. That's too bad; the section between Playfairville and CR511 would be great to paddle – it's relatively isolated, and it has access to the mouth of the Clyde and Fall Rivers.
On a calm and sunny day, I had a great paddle down the Mississippi and around Stafford Island and back to the launch site at CR15. The whole distance paddled was about 10 km in light winds (approx. 2.5 hrs. of paddling). It's a tranquil section of the Mississippi River without too much development. There are two seasonal cottage developments on that river stretch – one on the NW bank and one further downriver on the SE bank. Most of the riverbank is marshy and weedy; there are no rock ledges or any sandy beaches. On the southern shore (across Stafford I.), I found a small rocky bottom section, making it easier to go ashore for my lunch break.
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| My lunch stop with Stafford I. in background |
I saw a couple of duck blinds around Stafford Island, which is probably a popular spot for geese/duck hunters. Last year, I had a River Otter checking me out around Stafford Island but nothing this year. I only saw one muskrat, but the Stafford Island area has many large muskrat lodges.
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| Large muskrat lodge |
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| Another large muskrat lodge/condo |
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