Day 1 at Waldo Lake was extraordinary. But then, on day 2 we got up and headed out to kayak at 2 different locations. Our first location was Crane Prairie Reservoir. OK, if you’re interested in visiting Waldo Lake after reading my prior day’s trip, you’re definitely going to want to visit Crane Prairie as well. In fact, you can do them both in the same day.
“There are 23 miles of shoreline including several deep feeder creeks to explore. Views of wildlife are abundant here- osprey, bald eagles, pelicans, and herons, to name a few- as are the views of Mt. Bachelor, South Sister, and Broken Top in the background … Crane Prairie Reservoir is also one of the top producing rainbow trout fisheries in Central Oregon. Rainbow trout here average 2 inches of growth a month during the summer.”
Well, let’s get started.
This is the view from the boat launch area at the Crane Prairie Campground. One of the nice things about kayaking here is that the entire lake is restricted to 10 mph. This means no boat wakes, which is always nice! We were blessed with another perfect paddling day. There was no wind, just like day one. The entire lake had a glassy appearance and made for some easy paddling.
This route out into the main body of water was a lot of fun and the perfect route to take if you’re going there. It’s a fairly narrow channel that just winds around and around out into the main mass of water. The sights along the way are absolutely phenomenal. First and foremost – the fish!
My paddling partner had told me all about it, but you don’t really understand until you experience it. As we began to wind around the channel, this part of the lake has clear water and you can easily see to the bottom. At first, I saw a trout or two. But then, the longer I paid attention, it was dozens and then maybe a hundred and then thousands of fish swimming all around and underneath your kayak. It was amazing!
They were mostly Rainbow Trout. They varied in length from the wee youngest ones to the biggest one I saw probably measured around 14″ long or longer. You can fish here, but you are prohibited from keeping them. These photos are really not a good representation of just how many fish there were throughout our journey. They swim around a lot and are hard to “capture.” Probably 95% of the fish we saw were in the channel as you kayak out towards the main body of water.
Besides the abundance of fish, the scenery was absolutely beautiful!
Off in the distance, you will see wonderful views of Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters. We were so blessed with another beautiful day such that we were able to see everything clearly. As you continue kayaking through the channel, you will get closer and closer to the mountains and the opportunity for some awesome picture taking.
We saw quite a few ducks along our kayaking journey. They were sleeping in the plants that grow underwater. This kept them completely still and safe. I had to look up the name of this plant. It is a Water Lilly. They weren’t blooming at all, but I would definitely love to see them in full color!
Once we exited the water channel into the main lake area, the view was outstanding! Everything was so incredibly beautiful!
Everything bordering the lake was so green. It was really something to see. We continued to paddle towards the northeast corner of the lake. We wanted to go up the Deschutes River where it empties into the lake.
One of the biggest changes in scenery along this part of our journey was the quality of the water. Most of the northern area was ridden with what looked like algae. When I did a bit of research, I found out that it is phytoplankton. “Phytoplankton are free-floating, microscopic algae. Since phytoplankton require the sun’s energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and energy via photosynthesis, they inhabit the sunlit upper layers of freshwater and marine environments.”
The one point I did learn is that “during the summer the water’s pH level is exceptionally high, and sometimes approaches 10. This is caused by the phytoplankton that reach bloom proportions frequently. Phosphorus concentration in the lake is well above the regional average of other lakes. Aquatic weeds are not as common as they are in other shallow lakes, because of the lake’s big fluctuations in water level. The trophic state of the lake is eutrophic.”
This means, “a situation where the water body has lost so much of its dissolved oxygen that normal aquatic life begins to die off. Eutrophic conditions form when a water body is ‘fed’ too many nutrients, especially phosphorus and nitrogen. The excess food causes algae to grow out of control, and when the algae die off, the bacteria present use up a lot of the dissolved oxygen in the water body. Lack of oxygen can harm the lake’s ecosystem, can cause fish die off, and can leave lakes looking like green pea soup.”
However, it was a very beautiful green pea soup lake!
The other very noticeable change we saw was on the lake floor in this northern section. It became white in color. I have looked extensively online and couldn’t find an immediate answer. However, it was interesting to look at.
Once we reached the furthest northeast corner, we made a right turn into a channel. This part of our journey is where the Deschutes River enters Crane Prairie Reservoir. It was spectacular. Our journey was absolutely beautiful!
In my years of kayaking, I just never get tired of looking at how beautiful mother nature really is! We kayaked along until we reached the furthest point – a small waterfall. We exited our kayaks to walk around and soak it all in. I absolutely loved this entire section.
I learned that, “The Deschutes River originates at Little Lava Lake and flows south for approximately 8.4 miles before entering Crane Prairie Reservoir. There are no inlet streams to Little Lava Lake so all water comes from percolating snowmelt, so essentially the headwaters is a spring creek. The sources for the groundwater inflow to Little Lava Lake are snowfields in the Mt. Bachelor and Three Sisters area.”
I could sit there for hours and just enjoy the sunshine and the sounds of the waterfall! We noticed the wood walking bridge across the river up above and walked up to check it out. It was obviously very new. In fact, it may have been built within the last year. I wasn’t able to find any information regarding it’s use, but it did provide for a great viewing area.
The water here is so clean and pure. Everything was perfect! On your trip to Crane Prairie Reservoir, be sure to kayak up to this point. It was really something!
At this point, we turned around and began our return journey. I came across these beautiful plants on our kayaking adventure. They were very vibrant and gorgeous.
It was just as beautiful on our return journey as it was when we first started.
So, some helpful suggestions.
- Get there as early in the day as you are able. I know summer is coming to an end, but it was still very busy. The parking down by the water’s edge is limited. There is more parking back up the road a bit and if you don’t want to haul your kayaks or walk that far, then you need to get there in the morning hours.
- Be sure to remember your camera. The fish alone were well worth the time I took to take photographs.
- Lastly, we were stopped by the water sheriff’s (lol!) on our return. Don’t forget your life vest, water permit, and whistle. It’s just not worth getting a ticket!
Crane Prairie is seasonal due to snow. It is generally open between May and October. So, gather your kayaking belongings and go enjoy the journey yourself! You won’t be disappointed!
2024 – Kayak Trip #37
Hello Julie,
Two things… maybe more…
First, I just spent 5 days at Crane Prairie Reservoir, we left on the 25th.
Second; I grew up on the, water skiing, sailing, and rafting (I am very comfortable in and around water) but have never been in a kayak. I will be taking a class tomorrow morning (9/8/24) at the mouth of the Tualatin river in West Linn, above Willamette Falls.
I read your bio and like you, I’ve been watching videos, reading articles, going over reviews for kayaks, etc. etc. You can learn a lot in a rabbit hole.
Because I’ve been a life long backpacker, hiker, Mt. biker, X/C slier, etc. My body is pretty beat up, in a good way. I’ve been looking for something a little less impactive on my body. Something, where I can get a work out, a challenge, enjoy the solitude of nature, do a bit of camping and some fishing.
I think I may have found it with a Kayak.
I am very interested in the Crescent Primo, sit on top, 10′-6″. and the Pelican Catch 100, 10′. Both look like good fishing and camping boats. My choice is the Crescent. I will sampling a couple, the Pelican and a Native Wilderness, Falcon 11 at next adventure Scappoose, later in the week.
The class I’m taking is an REI class, Limited to 10 students, 3 hours long.
After the orientation, I would think on the water time will be 2 hours max, but probably more like an hour.
That will be more than enough to tell me if I am going to like it.
I am sooo pumped about this, I would probably need to get struck by lightning or drown not to like it.
P.S. I went scuba diving once, at three different places on the same day and almost died twice. But I still want to learn how to scuba dive…. Actually, I know how to scuba dive, I would just like some real lessons and get certified.
Well, I hope you made this far, and thanks for listening
Michael
Good luck on your future adventures!
Julie, I tried to find a way to contact you privately. I’m pretty sure the description and photos on this page are from Hosmer Lake and not Craine Prairie. The map you included is of Crane Prairie. I might be wrong, but you may want to double check.
Thank you for your comment. I took the photos myself, so I know they’re the right ones. Thank you for reading and for your comment. Happy kayaking!