This trip was originally scheduled for Woods Canyon Lake as the last Rim Lakes kayaking trip of the year. The week before October 13 would have been perfect kayaking weather on the Rim, as would the week after October 13. But by Monday, October 11, a massive early winter storm system was beginning to sweep across the entire state.

Heavy rains, snow, and sleet were forecast for the higher elevations above 6,000 feet (Woods Canyon Lake sits at 7,500 feet—b’rrr!), with temperatures dropping 15 degrees or more across the lower desert regions. With that in mind, we changed the trip to Lake Pleasant instead, anticipating more pleasant conditions.

Large areas that were completely under water on their last visit now sit high and dry, and the lake looks completely different, with a lot more exposed shoreline and a lot less water. Looking at the high-water mark around the area, we estimate the lake is down at least 35 feet or more from the top of this high water mark, or bathtub ring. Lake Pleasant does typically fluctuate quite a bit, with heavy downstream demands for its water, particularly for agricultural use during the hot summer months. But we’re not sure if that entirely explains how low the lake is today.

We park our vehicles near the lake’s edge and prep our kayaks for launching, determined to do some kayaking today no matter how low the lake is. By about 9:30 AM we’re all ready to launch. We ease our kayaks out into the lake and begin paddling in the direction that Billie points out.

But the path she really wants to take is now blocked by solid ground, so we have to work our way around it. What was an island completely surrounded by water just months earlier is now solidly connected to high and dry terra-firma and is no longer isolated at all. But Lake Pleasant is a big lake, so there’s still plenty of water left and room to paddle around.

We continue paddling around the shoreline and by about 11:00 AM pull into shore in a small cove and get out for a quick snack and rest break. Launching our kayaks back out into the lake, we continue to paddle around and explore more shoreline, before finally deciding to call it a day by about 12:30. Neil and Billie pack up their kayaks and head for home.

But Pam, Kelley, and I decide to drive to the Scorpion Bay Restaurant for lunch. We sit on the large outdoor patio overlooking the lake and enjoy a leisurely lunch, which a couple of pesky bees seem to enjoy as well, before eventually heading home ourselves. So that wraps one more successful day of kayaking yet another Arizona lake for the first time.