Lake La Su An Wildlife Area is a lush and rolling 2400-acre oasis of ponds and woods surrounded by miles and miles of farm land in northwest Ohio. Thirteen ponds ranging from 1/4-acre to 81 acres are within moderate hiking distance of each other. The largest pond, La Su An, is the famous one; however, small boats can also be launched at very nearby Lake La Vere, Lake Sue, and Lake Ann. On Memorial Day 2007, I elected to see what was going on at my favorite quiet inland lake: Lake La Su An.
HDR photo with Canon 20D at 7pm
It's always a pleasure to go to La Su An. The dead and floating fish around the perimeter of the lake were totally unexpected so I can't give this place any kind of bad review at all. Water pollution is out of the question at this site; perhaps the fifty dead blue gills I smelled and viewed all died of old age; I'll allow that but it's worth asking about if you see someone there that would know what's going on. The lake was closed for the holiday (Memorial Day) but those of us that can carry our boats in are welcome to partake of the lake at our own risk any time we like although taking fish would be illegal during those times. I'm just out there for the pictures.
While photographing some Canada Geese on the north end of the lake...
...a 25-pound male raccoon hightailed it up shore and disappeared. I missed the shot, but the event (seeing his tail dance away from me in a hurry) allowed me to believe there are wild and photographable raccoons around other than those lying dead on the roads I travel. If you look carefully and quietly around La Su An, you'll see raccoons, and deer, a great blue heron or two, yellow warblers, woodpeckers, chipmunks and all the standard fare for the midwest but you'd have to keep your eyes peeled and ready; your mouth and boat must be quiet. The water is shallow so you'll see fish, too. Not the floaters, I mean the live ones from thumbnail sized to serious fighters. And there's a nesting Osprey already this year. He's not in the Osprey stand as you would expect. This year he built his own nest and it is way WAY up high and difficult to photograph. When you approach, he'll draw you away from the nest to the left and that's your only hope for a shot.
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If you look at the dock picture above, the nest is in a tree just out of the picture to the right on the far side of the lake.
This is a quiet place, a peaceful place, and it is my top favorite in Ohio (at least so far). It's a little over an hour from Toledo.
Exit 13 on the Ohio Turnpike near the Indiana border puts you onto Routh 15. Head north for a few miles to Route 20A at a blinking light and make a left. Travel less than 10 miles to County Road 7. There's a sign for La Su An. Turn Right. When it dead ends, turn left. Lake La Su An will be ahead on the right in less than a mile. You'll see the lake before you get there. Enjoy.
Other trip reports from this year are here.