This trip report is for canoers and kayakers that want to see where they're going before they go. Please visit Kohne Camera & Photo while on your way. We're a full service imaging lab and camera dealer operated entirely by photo enthusiasts ready to attend every photographic need you have.
Now, a paddling report from a very small portion of the Wabash River in Huntington County, Indiana:
I was in the neighborhood, so I took a look at Huntington Reservoir (also called J Edward Roush Lake Project). The offical boat ramp is off Route 224, southeast of Huntington, Indiana, in Northeast Indiana. The launch place is a major affair with plenty of concrete and is well-suited to power boats of all kinds; plus, there's parking available for a couple hundred vehicles. The reservoir is pretty wide at that point, and although I'd stay close to the edges for the best photographic opportunities anyway, it just seemed a little too civilized for my taste.
The Wabash River flows both below and above the reservoir. The dam is on Route 5, and visible from the main boat launch at Roush Lake. I decided to drive upstream and look for a ramp on the river. An hour later, I found one. It's not marked in any way, but it's clearly a place where a kayak or canoe should be launched. There are no specific parking spaces but you could probably fit 5 or 10 vehicles somewhere around here.
To the right is upstream, to the left is the reservoir.
Upstream (east) is pretty wild. Judging by the noticable lack of litter, this stretch is not travelled much. Somewhere along the way eastward is an I-69 bridge near Markle. The area looks terrific from the shore (I saw it while seeking a launch)...
...however, the water is very shallow over there.
This site is filled with many small islands and a median. And by the way, the shores are mostly steep but the water is shallow at the edges. You can disembark practically anywhere along the way. I tried the left side of the median and found stagnant water shallows and some fallen trees impeding progress.
To the right of the median was rocky shoals with water also too shallow to proceed.
Unfortunately, I'm looking for mammals. Again, today, there were none, not even a squirrel. If you prefer birds to mammals, you might like the White Egret and Great Blue Heron populations that dominate this area, but there are even better areas for them 20 miles southwest of here on the Salamonie River .
This is a wilderness place. From the ramp to the shoals is not more than a mile, so you wouldn't come here expecting a long trip or terrific upper bod workout. I would go back to see the Autumn colors and look for more birds (and maybe a mammal, perhaps?) when I'm in the neighborhood, but I wouldn't make a special trip to this place. If you're already nearby, it's definitely worth a dip. If you want a workout, paddle left from the "ramp" and go all around the edge of the reservoir, but watch out for those power boaters.
Location: Take Route 224 southeast out of Huntington, Indiana. Turn right (south) on CR (County Road) 200E a few miles after official signs to Roush Lake. It will take you over a bridge that overlooks the reservoir. Since there's not much traffic here, you could take spectacular sunrise or sunset pictures from the bridge if you're there at the right time. Anyway, continue for 1.7 miles to the stop sign at CR 100S. Turn east (left) for 1 mile. Turn north (left) at CR 300E. Watch your speed! This is a gravel road with plenty of pot holes! One mile later, the road t-bones:
Turn left.
The launch site will be ahead in about 500 feet or so. It's not fancy, so slow down. The road ends in water.
