Potts Lagoon, West Cracroft Island

Lagoons are enticing destinations, but many along the coast can be challenging to enter. Those with a large elliptical basin and a narrow neck opening often pose difficulties, especially if they have depth, as strong currents can form at the entrance. However, one lagoon that provides safe anchorage for boats traveling to or from The Broughton Islands area is Potts Lagoon.

Before entering, consider setting a couple of prawn pots in Clio Channel, just outside the lagoon’s entrance. Although the chart may not make it look particularly promising, placing the pots in the deeper depressions can yield a rewarding catch of spot prawns.

The entrance to Potts Lagoon lies eight nautical miles southwest in Clio Channel from the welcoming and picturesque Lagoon Cove Marina. The passage, situated between West Cracroft and Klaoitsis Islands, is wide and deep, with a few well-marked rocks to starboard. However, the narrow passage straight ahead is shallow, with patches of kelp, requiring caution. Once inside, Potts Lagoon itself presents no hazards for boats seeking shelter. This landlocked anchorage is well protected from all weather, offering a secluded refuge in the lee of a small island marked “41” on the chart. The anchorage sits in 15 feet of water over a good-holding mud bottom, ensuring security in various conditions. While generally well-sheltered, westerly winds can occasionally sneak around the island.

The lagoon’s southern bay is the more popular anchorage, home to a handful of floating homes and a weathered wharf overgrown with salal and small trees along the southern shoreline. However, the northern bay also provides good anchorage. Its small basin is unobstructed and typically less frequented, offering a peaceful retreat. The surrounding trees are draped in old man’s beard, a long, stringy moss that adds to the bay’s untouched beauty.

Potts Lagoon is named after Murray Clark Potts, an Ontario student of “practical science” who became the area’s first homesteader. In 1910, he established a farm near Coho Creek, where he raised cows and used horses for plowing. He remained there until 1946 before relocating to Alert Bay.

Beyond the lagoon’s navigable depths at the southern end, a small set of rapids (reaching up to five knots at low tide) guards an expansive marshland. This area is excellent for exploration by dinghy or kayak, but visitors should be mindful of the drying marsh and avoid lingering too long to prevent getting stranded. During summer, bears are often seen feeding on the area’s berries.

Crabbing in the lagoon and near its entrance can be productive. The waters around Klaoitsis Island also offer good opportunities. While many commercial traps are concentrated on the island’s eastern end, the islets to the northwest can also yield good catches. An excellent bait choice is spot prawn heads.

As the evening air cools and the moon rises over the cedar trees, visitors swinging on the hook may be reminded of Bill Proctor’s Full Moon Flood Tide. This cherished book by the local legend, storyteller, and historian pays tribute to the loggers and fishermen who carved out a life from the forest and sea in this remote yet captivating region.