Whitehall Lake is a former reservoir in Hopkinton. It's now a state park and was my destination the weekend after Labor Day. From the boat launch the lake looks quite small. A short paddle reveals that the launch is situated in a small cove. The lake is full of coves and the full size is never completely obvious. I decided to keep the shore to my port side and travel the edge of the lake - all 560+ acres of it.
It was a lovely clear day, and though I saw powerboats the size of the lake mutes their impact. The shore is lined with many large rocks. My first wildlife sighting was a cormorant and a seagull resting on a rock together. I'd decided that was going to be it for the day when I rounded a curve and came upon a heron a couple of feet away. I'm not sure who was more surprised - me or the heron. The heron quickly exited. I came upon several more herons (or maybe the same heron several more times) as I continued around the lake. I also sighted a swan in a more marshy section.
Total paddle time for the day was 3 hours. This is definitely worth another visit - it's a beautiful lake and offers both open and secluded spaces.
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