Yesterday we returned to Anderson Lake, where our canoeing adventures began together. This was the first lake that we ever put "Unit 1" down in, and it will remain a vivid and fond memory for both Shelley and I forever.
And I'm happy to report that going back a second time turned out to be just as memorable.
The lake took on a different nature this time, as we were canoeing it in late August versus June. There was more vegetation covering many of the bays, and the water level was much higher than the last time we canoed Anderson Lake. We were able to canoe deeper into the bays by many feet, but we'd also recently had some pretty big rains. So this might have been an isolated experience.
Anderson Lake, according the website Lake-Link Minnesota, is 89 acres in size. It is approximately 25 feet deep at its deepest point. When fishing, anglers can expect to catch a variety of fish including black bullhead, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow bullhead and pumpkinseed. For future reference, you can find Anderson Lake here. I'd highly recommend the trip there if you like canoeing and some strong pan fishing.
One of the best amenities of Anderson is that it was a near zero entry public access, and so you can unload your canoe and gear and be on the water in minutes. You can see the pubic access in the headline photo above.
Also, it is a small lake, and so there generally isn't boating traffic. Although, yesterday, there was one lone angler in a small fishing boat.
Once we launched Saturday afternoon, we spent several minutes talking about the last trip we made to Anderson, and it was fun to recount our last adventure there. And then I set course to the north and west so that we could follow the shoreline around, counter clockwise.
There isn't the bird life here on Anderson that we've seen on other lakes, but we did catch a short view of a blue heron before it lifted gracefully out of the reeds and lofted skyward. And we could see plenty of sunnies that were hanging out in the shallows and didn't seem to fear the canoe gliding above them.
There is only two permanent residences on the lake, and so that helps to keep it free of traffic. And while we did see folks enjoying the water at both places on Saturday, it was pretty easy to stay clear of people, as the lake is big enough.
The best part of the day was when Shelley got the idea to pull ashore and go swimming. It was hot, above 80 and there was no cloud cover. So, I glided the canoe into shore at what seemed to be someone's recreational piece of land. There was a dock, a generator and there was an ice house located a little farther into the woods. But there is no permanent residence there, and so we hoped they wouldn't mind us borrowing their lake shore for a while.
We got out and went swimming for an hour, floating and swimming back to the deck for a sip of beer. The water was like bath water, as August is the month where Minnesota's waters are their warmest. It was a truly excellent way to spend a steaming summer afternoon. I wish we were back today!
After canoeing, we voted to try going back to Hillbillie's Vittles & Brew in nearby Erhard, Minn. This was the restaurant that we went to after our first visit to Anderson Lake in 2018. And we loved the food back then.
This time around, we chose to sit outside on a large picnic table, and luckily for us, there was a one-man guitar act playing on a small stage in what the restaurant calls its "Back 40." He was good, and darn it if I wished I would have gotten his name. But he was obviously a local, as the folks around us knew him well. Shelley and I both enjoy him, and he played a variety of folk, 80s rock and singer-song writer hits that everyone knew.
We ordered an appetizer of fresh caught fish, breaded lightly and season. It was served with tartar sauce. And it was delectable. Is there anything better than fresh caught fish on a summer's night, sitting outside, and listening to a live music act?
Shelley ordered a burger and fries, and I had a half fried chicken with onion rings. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the meal left something to be desired. Shelley said her burger was good, and frankly, later on that night when I stole the leftover portion she had hid in the fridge, I agreed! ... But she said that her fries were cold, and so obviously there were some plating issues. And unfortunately, my chicken was over fried, as were my onion rings. And so all I tasted was overdone breading in both cases. I wish I would have made a different choice, but how do you know?
Admittedly, our views were tainted as we were both looking forward to a good steak, like we had the last time we were there. But this time around, steak wasn't on the menu, and there weren't any options to got elsewhere. So we settled on live music, beer on a patio and the menu we had in our hands.
I wouldn't ever want to sway someone away from eating at a locally owned establishment, especially in this day and age. So, if you're in the area, give Hillbillies a shot.
And here's two quick positives to wrap it up. The staff is friendly, and I had the chance to drink a couple of Grain Belt Nordeasts, a true Midwestern beer classic that I hadn't had in a long time.
Another day spent in "Unit 1" ... another day spent in heaven.
Let us know where your favorite canoeing haunts are!
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