Bashan Lake in Connecticut

Trip Overview

Connecticut DEEP is still reporting the boat launch at the southern tip of Bashan Lake as "closed until further notice". This is due to the 2015 replacement of the dam and the necessary draw down. But the lake is coming back up slowly. Being familiar with the boat launch and consulting satellite images from last winter, I took the chance that I could hike the short stretch from the boat launch to open water. My bet paid off. It is a simply hike to get the kayak to the lake; the put-in is easy to moderate. Once I got on the lake, it was a wonderful paddle; the entire lake is accessible and it is very quiet because the boat launch is closed. With the caveat that you have to make some effort to get to the open water, I highly recommend this paddle, in contrast with the state's necessary "closed" condition.