08/14/2010 - Big Creek Lake

Launch: Howells Ferry Road east side launch site for Big Creek Lake.
Launch Cost: $5
Destination: Explore north side of Big Creek Lake aka Converse Reservoir. Both the scenery and vegetation of the lake and surrounding area are beautiful and different than that of the Mobile-Delta. It is well worth kayaking this lake at different times of the year.
Distance: 22.5 miles (round trip)
Paddle time: 7.5 hours
Weather: Hot humid morning. Rain and thunderstorms in afternoon.
GPS Track: To view or download the GPS track of this trip, Click Here.

Header Image

1) Sunrise on Converse Reservoir aka Big Creek Lake on an arm-pit drenching humid morning.

2) By 10:00 am, clouds were forming quickly and it would soon lead to thunder and rain. The red foliage was beautiful.

3) A caterpillar which can have a wide range of body markings called a Banded Sphinx Caterpillar (Eumorpha fasciatus) was munching on a plant. It eventually turns into a Sphinx Moth.

4) Mom holding onto a baby ball. Life is precious. Hold on to it.

5) Great egrets were plentiful along the dense shoreline grasses.

6) Big Creek Lake has alligators? Yup. Locals say there are big ones in these waters.

7) Limb hooks that fishermen set out and leave unattended for long periods of time leads to senseless and wasteful deaths of innocent animals and fish.

8) Raining while the sun is shining. Thank God I doubled back to the car this morning after launching to get the umbrella which came in handy most of the day.

9) The yellow color on the water is actually a mass of flowers. Big Creek Lake would not be very friendly to pedal kayaks because of stumps and dense stringy vegetation.

10) Days like this keep the boaters away and the temperatures more moderate. I stick the umbrella stem down my shirt and into my waistband which keeps it upright while freeing up the hands for paddling.

11) Aquatic fanworts were in bloom (Cabomba caroliniana).

12) Showy fragrant water lilies (Nymphaea odorata) were in bloom and most were flooded with little insects.

13) Big Creek Lake is full of a wide variety of aquatic plants, including invasives.

14) Frequently seen darting across the surface of the water near vegetation are little Water Striders. Those that don't dart are probably absorbed in an intimate moment. Life is good.