When the winds come from the north the lake can become very choppy and rough, for there's nothing but open water for thirty miles or more up the river. The farther north I paddle the murkier the waters become, as the inflow to the lake carries much silt not yet settled in the still waters closer to the dam. Back at the marina I can see bottom at 20 feet or more, but that changes as the muddy silt thickens more northward I travel. Winds today are fairly light and paddling is easy. I make good progress and soon I approach the State Park on the western shore, just outside the town of Truth or Consequences.
Many campers are there, some as tenters but most in motorhomes or trailers.
This is a popular place all year around. The eastern shore of the lake is more lonely than the west side. Vertical cliffs, rocks and more rugged terrain borders the lake there. More gently sloping land provides easier access from the west. It's a long ways to paddle from the dam to the inflow of the river proper, father than I am prepared to go today.