Autumn on the water

Fall is my favorite season. It brings mornings as crisp as tree-ripened apples and evenings chilled by brisk winds, which rustle the leaves and whisper of changes to come. Rising in a riot of color, it tumbles like a wayward stream down the mountainsides and into the valleys, curling around pretty little lakes with faces so still and clear it's nearly impossible to separate the surrounding land from its mirror image. The soul of a Southern autumn, I think, must dwell around its lakes. Among the loveliest I've found are Broken Bow Lake in Oklahoma, Lake Barkley in Kentucky, and Lake Oconee in Georgia. At these serene spots, I've found all of the best that this season has to offer.

Broken Bow Lake

Tucked into a pocket of southeast Oklahoma, Broken Bow Lake at dawn looks like an ancient Chinese painting. Mist swirls around fist-size islands that dot the placid waters, and distant mountains swell against the horizon. As I watch from a balcony at Lakeview Lodge in Beavers Bend State Resort Park, the sun appears as a faint spark atop the tallest ridge, then grows until it fills the sky with light.

A clear 200-foot-deep lake, Broken Bow spills over into Mountain Fork River with water cold enough to sustain trout year-round. "The Wildlife Department has developed the river into a premier trout stream," says park director Terry Walker. "We put in 3,800 trout every two weeks. It's a beautiful fly-fishing river, wide and shallow."

That observation gets no argument from fishing guide Ethan Wright. "An average flyfisherman should hook at least 20 fish a day," he says. "Of course, you don't keep everything you catch." According to Ethan, the fishing is good year-round, but December, January, and February are the best months because there are fewer people on the river.

Lakefront property either belongs to the park or falls under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, so the shale banks wear forests thick with trees instead of private development. Thus the seasons may change, but Broken Bow Lake remains nature's canvas.

Lake Barkley, Kentucky

At Lake Barkley State Resort Park, I wake to a symphony of sound. The patter of rain sets the tempo, and water trickling through a nearby gully plays the melody. At measured intervals, thunder rumbles across the lake like a drum.

Sitting in the main lodge, Ed Ray waits for the weather to clear. Retired after 20 years as chief naturalist at Land Between The Lakes, a 40-mile-long National Recreation Area sandwicked between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Ed now devotes his time to conservation projects. April through October, he also leads tours on Lake Barkley to look for bald eagles, ospreys, and other wildlife.

"I've seen a tremendous increase in the number of species around the lake," Ed says. "Ospreys are among the most abundant, but by mid-September they're leaving, and the double-- crested cormorants are coming in. We have great bird watching year-round."

The rain stops and the sun peeks out, turning the land into a kaleidoscope of light and color. It's a good sign for those scheduled to take Ed's cruise. It also brings out fishermen who angle their boats close to shore, casting their hopes into the autumn shadows.

Lake Oconee, Georgia

I want to live on Lake Oconee. I dream of walking beneath the tall pines and hardwoods as they turn their freckled faces toward the sun, of exploring every finger of the lake by boat, and of fishing whenever the mood strikes.

Sprawling through four counties, Lake Oconee measures a mile at its widest point, but it stretches along 370 miles of shoreline. The land slopes gently to water's edge, making it perfect for home sites, resorts, and golf courses.

Port Armor is the oldest resort on the lake. The newest is The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation. Cuscowilla's Waterside Restaurant boasts the best dining. All three resorts have spectacular golf courses.

The resorts also have lovely residential communities. But for now, I'll have to settle for an occasional weekend visit. For quiet relaxation, the obvious choice is Port Armor. To treat myself to sheer luxury, I head to The Ritz-Carlton. To stay within walking and biking distance of my favorite restaurant on the lake, I reserve a cottage at Cuscowilla.

For the best season on Lake Oconee, or on any lake, I'll choose autumn.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved