This is definitely a lake for motorized boats, but if you head out early enough you can miss some of the crowds and stay along the shore for a decently mellow paddle. The views are mostly trees (it's an NID lake, which means it's a reservoir built for irrigation). It's also huge, so even with strong effort you won't likely get far.
The finer points of Rollins are that it's really close to the highway in Colfax, so it's not a rough trip, and has plentiful parking and nice big launch dock. There's a small day use beach and -- we thought this was pretty cool -- a waterslide on a nearby dock (basically, it's a short slide into the lake). You can also camp at this lake.
A nice morning out is to start early and swim on the way back at the day use beach / swim area. But it's definitely not the peace and quiet of some lakes given that any boat can launch here. On our return trip before lunch on a recent early summer, a huge boat was headed out blaring music out of its overhead speakers. Party boat!
What to know
Launch fee: $17 for a car with a kayak or canoe from Peninsula Family Campground entrance
Nearby camping: Inntown Campground
Local COVID-19 Info: COVID-19 Boat Launch Handout
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