The busy season is here for Lake Wallenpaupack, but an island in the lake is off limits to people because eagles have decided to nest there.
Newswatch 16 was on the lake Thursday and it's clear those eagles are going to become pretty popular on the Paupack this summer.
Bouys and signs are up around Kipp Island in Lake Wallenpaupack. The island in Pike County is off limits to people through the first of August.
Bald eagles are nesting in one of the trees there.
Newswatch 16 got a glimpse at one of them perched high in the tree right near the water's edge, not out in the open, but easy to see with a closer look.
Nick Landolfi from nearby Lighthouse Harbor Marina gave us boat ride out to the island.
"It's pretty cool. Sometimes in the morning when we come into work early you can actually see them dive down and catch a fish out of the water. It's pretty cool watching them fly to and from the nest," Landolfi said.
While the island will be off limits for most the summer, it will also become quite a draw at the lake. Boaters wanting to see those eagles.
"Every time I take someone sailing, that's a must stop there and I get the binoculars out and people look and say, 'Oh wow, real bald eagles, right in the wild!' They think it's fantastic so it's a lot of fun," said Steve Enoksen of Lighthouse Harbor Marina. He takes tourists for boat rides all the time from the marina. He enjoys seeing the eagles just as much as they do. "It really is spectacular to see and what gorgeous animals they are to watch fly. They really, really are."
Visitors won't be able to use the picnic tables and other recreation on the island.
The island is in a narrow part of the lake, so boaters should use caution for fishermen and sightseers floating nearby.