Wallowa Lake - JO Paddle’s Glass Bottom Kayak
The crystal clear water of Wallowa Lake provides a unique opportunity to explore the lake in a glass-bottom kayak. JO Paddle is a wonderful, family-owned business in Joseph, Oregon. The kayaks are clear plexiglass rather than glass, but the view is quite spectacular. The clear bottoms allow you to have a clear view below the surface without the choppy, wind-whipped surface getting in the way. It was a neat experience.
The Approach
From Joseph, Oregon, head south down S Main St. Follow the bend onto E 8th St and continue to follow as it bends south and becomes Wallowa Lake Hwy. As the road turns East, turn right into the entrance of Wallowa Lake Park.
Cost
Morning: 3-Hour Kayak Rental: $95
Afternoon: 2-Hour Kayak Rental: $85
Availability
Morning: 3-Hour Kayak Rental, beginning at 9 AM (Arrive 15-30 minutes early to check-in and complete liability waiver.)
Afternoon: 2-Hour Kayak Rental, beginning at 12:30 PM (Arrive 15-30 minutes early to check-in and complete liability waiver.)
Reserve your date and time at jopaddle.com
Limitations
Weight Limits: Clear Kayaks have a Maximum weight capacity of 420 pounds per kayak. Each rider must be under 220 pounds per seat in a double. For a Single rider, they must be under 250lbs
Children must weigh at least 30lbs to participate
Guests must be at least age 16 to have a solo Kayak
Small and Medium size dogs are permitted on board – You must have your own doggie life vest and paw bootie (+$20 Cleaning Fee)
Absolutely NO Fishing off the Clear Kayaks or Clear SUP Boards; we do offer Sit-On-Top Kayaks for Fishing; thank you for understanding
We do not allow boots or shoes that leave marks on our kayaks, water shoes are permitted and preferred
Absolutely no drinking or smoking of any kind allowed on our Glacier Clear Rentals or Tours
A life vest (PFD) will be provided and required to wear the entire time on the water
We provide dry bags, towels, water, and sunscreen if needed
Challenges
In the summer months, this area can get hot in the afternoon sun. There isn’t much shade, so plan accordingly.
Wind can be a factor in this adventure. Listen to the owners for helpful tips. Basically, the west side of the lake will make paddling a lot easier, it is also prettier.
Equipment
Sunscreen
Hat (optional)
Embark
You’ll start this adventure by meeting the family who owns JO Paddle. They are your typical family who happen to own a fun business. They will have paper waivers for each participant to sign. When they give you instructions, please pay attention. These kayaks are very important to their business and their livelihood, so please take care of these items to ensure they are available to others and the company for future adventures.
After the informational meeting, the owners will help each person in the kayak. The kayaks are a little different than your typical ones. The biggest difference is that they are clear in every direction. They also have a unique tracking fin that can be raised and lowered. While exploring, this fin should be lowered into the water, which the owners will do for you before sending you off. When you get into shallow water, like when coming back to the boat launch, remember to raise this tracking fin out of the water so it doesn’t drag across any rocks and get damaged.
Exploring
Once you are comfortably inside the kayak, a gentle push from the owners sends you on your way. The first thing you’ll notice is how clear blue the water is. Within the first 30-50 feet of shore, you have a clear view of the bottom of the lake. This is where the glass bottom really shines, by giving you an unobscured view. Without it, the slightest wind would break up the water’s surface, making it impossible to see anything.
As you paddle around the lake, you’ll probably find it most interesting to stay near the shoreline. When in the deeper water, the view is of a blue sky above and deep blue water below. Pretty, but a little boring in a glass bottom kayak. Along the shoreline, you can look for fallen trees, large boulders, and the unfortunate lost items of humanity. We saw a tire, a couple of lawn chairs, and a few other random items lost to the depths. We were hoping to see a lot more fish swimming about but were somewhat disappointed in that respect. We saw one near our trip's end, but not through the glass bottom. I did see another one later when reviewing my underwater footage as well.
The best part was encountering a ladybug swarm stranded on the water’s surface. The wind likely blew them out of the trees and onto the water. There were dozens, likely hundreds, all around us at one point. We immediately started rescuing the ones we could, placing them on Summer’s hat to dry off. I enjoyed watching them stretch one wing out, then the other, then both as they dried their wings and prepared to fly once more. As one would fly off, we would gather others. I don’t know how many returned to shore, but we must have given a few dozen a second chance.
One hour into our 2-hour time slot, we had paddled a little more than halfway to the other side of the lake along the western shoreline. The views were stunning, the breeze refreshing, and the experience was wonderful. The time had come to turn around and head back to the boat dock. We had paddled leisurely to this point, so we didn’t feel the need to rush back. Taking our time, we enjoyed the views and even paddled into the small river. We were looking for that elusive fish sighting. Finally, as we paddled out of the river towards the boat dock, we saw a fish off the side of the kayak.
Disembark
Back at the boat dock, we were assisted by the owners as we paddled in. They were in the water waiting; they caught our kayak, put the tracking fin up, and guided us into shallow water so we could exit the kayak. Back on shore, we listened as the owners offered some helpful tips on places to eat and visit before making our way back to the car and heading off to our next adventure.
Summary
Honestly, there wasn’t a huge benefit to using the glass-bottom kayak. While it is a bit of a gimmick during the day, it was worth getting to have the experience. The owners were great. The experience in that crystal clear water was memorable, and the adventure was iconic. I would recommend having this experience to anyone interested. If you have your own kayak or canoe, this may not be worth it to you. This experience does give you a different perspective of the lake and the incredible clarity of the water that would be difficult to experience any other way. We love getting out on the water and this was a worthwhile adventure that did just that. We loved it.
Places to Eat in Joseph, Oregon
Stubborn Mule Saloon and Steak has your typical saloon food. Burgers, steak, and fries adorn the menu with a few surprises making an appearance. The food was respectable, with good portion sizes.
The Blythe Cricket is a popular breakfast location. The food is good, but not exceptional, likely due to the need for speed since this place had a line out the door before we arrived until after we left.
Summit Grill is a great place to grab a snack if you take the Tramway to the summit of Mt Howard. We grabbed bagels with cream cheese to eat on our way down the mountain, and they hit the spot.
Other Points of Interest
Nearby attractions include Old Chief Joseph Gravesite & Cemetery, Wallowa Lake Tramway, and Wallowa Lake State Park.
