On May 19th, in my effort to paddle some of the larger lakes of Lanark County, I headed to Bennett Lake in the Township of Tay Valley. Bennett Lake is a long narrow lake and part of the Fall River watershed. If you include Fagan Lake to the south, the total paddling distance from the NE to the SW is about 15km. Today, my planned trip was from the Ennis Cottage launch point to Fagan Lake and back (16km). Most of the lake is surrounded by private land, so access points are limited. The popular launch for small boats is at the Ennis Cottage site for a small fee.
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As you can see from the photo below, it would have been hard to have a more beautiful spring day for a paddle on a large lake. As I started on Bennett Lake, it was clear blue sky and flat water everywhere! Even though the lake is relatively developed, it was tranquil in May. I don’t remember seeing anybody on the lake all day.
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| Morning on Bennett Lake |
It was a great paddle to Fagan Lake while enjoying the scenery and wildlife (Loon, GB Heron, etc.). An enjoyable part of the paddle is the narrow channel and wetland between Bennett and Fagan Lakes. In the channel, the Fall River enters from the south. It’s about 6km to reach the town of Maberly via a narrow wetland stretch of the Fall River. It would be fun to paddle into that stretch of the Fall River (by canoe). I need to investigate if it’s possible to start downriver on the Fall River from Maberly.
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On the way back to Ennis Cottage, I made a lunch & rest stop on one of the many small islands on Bennett Lake. From there, it was a straight paddle back to the launch point and home. Bennett Lake is OK, and I should come back for a paddle into the northeast arm of the lake. That portion of the lake is more wetlands, so it doesn’t appear to be as developed.
For my iNaturalist Bennett Lake sightings, click HERE.
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