Paddle on Hovey Lake enjoyed by group of new visitors

Chloe Drew Weaver pauses in her kayak during the Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ Full Moon Paddle at Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area on Monday, June 29. Photo by Dennis Marshall

By Dennis Marshall

POSEY COUNTY, Ind. — Under a rising full moon on the evening of June 29, roughly 20 paddlers moved quietly across Hovey Lake, gliding among the bald cypress that grow straight from the water as an orange glow spread across the surface and owls called from the darkness.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources hosted its Full Moon Paddle at Hovey Lake Fish & Wildlife Area to give people a rare nighttime experience on the 1,400-acre oxbow lake. Property manager Zach Schoenherr said about half the participants were new to the property or to paddling, part of an effort to draw summer visitors beyond the area’s traditional hunting and fishing users.

“We had a clear sky, so we got to see the moon on the horizon,” he said. “It was a really cool night.”

The turnout landed in the ideal range. The DNR generally keeps these paddles at 30 participants or fewer. Over five years, attendance has grown from the low teens.

“It’s definitely picked up,” he said. “It seems like people are enjoying it.”

The lake changes after dark, especially in summer. Schoenherr said the air is usually cooler and the water calmer, while wildlife activity increases near dusk as birds return to roost. Participants saw herons, cormorants and tree swallows, and heard barred owls calling from the trees.

Schoenherr said staff always highlight the bald cypress stands because few places in Indiana allow paddlers to move among living trees on open water.

“It’s just a different experience,” he said, “being able to look at the moon or see the stars.”

One of Schoenherr’s favorite parts of these events is watching people discover the property for the first time.

“Most of the time, people are unaware of how biodiverse and ecologically unique Hovey Lake and the surrounding property is,” he said. “I love to introduce people to it and just help them have a better idea of the overall property.”

Safety measures are built into the event. Participants are required to wear life jackets, and DNR issues each paddler a large glow stick so staff can track the group after dark. Schoenherr said the glow sticks make it easier to spot and regroup with anyone who drifts 50 to 100 yards away. The agency typically has four staff members on the water during these paddles.

Hovey Lake is generally an easy paddle on calm nights. Schoenherr said the property has maintained a clean safety record across five years of night paddles, with no falls or incidents.

The DNR will continue the series with a Dark Sky Paddle on Aug. 15 during the new moon. University of Southern Indiana astronomy professor Matt Merlot will join the group to point out stars, planets and constellations.

“It’ll be a similar thing, but kind of a different focal point,” Schoenherr said. “That’s always a really fun time.”

Registration for the Aug. 15 paddle is available by calling the Hovey Lake office at 812-838-2927 or through the Indiana DNR events calendar.