MONTOUR COUNTY, Pa. — Boating season is finally Here. May 1 is the opening day for boaters at Lake Chillisquaque in the Montour Preserve near Washingtonville.
"Lake Chillisquaque is super popular with kayakers and small recreational vehicles. It is unpowered watercraft only," said Bob Stoudt, Montour Area Recreation Commission director.
Ray Ritter from Washingtonville has been waiting to put his boat in the water. He took his boat to the lake on Monday to work on some much-needed repairs for the season.
"I am out here replacing the skids on my trailer because, as you can see, they are going bad, so I have to replace them."
Newswatch 16 was there when a few folks decided to drop their kayaks onto the lake. However, there weren't many who took advantage of opening day.
"Normally, it is a happy day and a lot of people come out. Today it is not so happy," Stoudt said.
"Today, I probably won't go in because the wind is too much," Ritter said.
Water conditions at Lake Chillisquaque were not ideal on opening day. Heavy rainfall in the past few days has caused the water level to rise.
Stoudt says he is keeping his eyes on the lake. If conditions worsen, opening day and week could be cut short.
"We are not seeing significant amounts of mud; we are not seeing debris, floating logs, and things like that. As long as it is OK, we will continue to keep it open, but with the forecast of rain in the next few days, we will have to watch it closely."
Officials at the Montour Preserve say the lake will have a kayak kiosk offering watercraft concessions throughout the season.
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