Columbia Lake is fed by the Wisconsin River and is used by Alliant Energy to cool pipes so the water is warm. We have heard about this place to paddle and decided we’d check it out before heading over with friends in a couple of days.
The draw for paddlers is during cold weather, the dense cover of fog must be a neat experience. In winter it attracts birds, especially eagles.
Unfortunately, the launch did not look that easy (although we could do it). It required taking the boat down a steep hill embankment. Standing there in the parking area, we could pretty much see all of the lake. It is wide open and to tell you the truth, looked pretty boring… even for us quiet water paddlers.
We understand that the plant is going to be closed in 2025.
As an alternative, we located a landing in Dekorra that we launched from many years ago. We settled on taking our friends there instead.