Constable Paul Mander, of Omarama, was notified about 11.30am that the canoe with a red hull, white decking and a plastic yellow paddle with a blue handle jammed in it was floating in the lake near Deep Stream, close to the Aviemore dam.
Const Mander said the crew of a boat out on the lake was contacted and recovered the canoe and deposited it at the Otematata boat harbour.
He and six others searched the shoreline of Lake Aviemore, including looking in vain for any empty vehicles that might have transported the canoe.
The canoe had debris and silt in the bottom and Const Mander said it could have been on the lake shore or in the lake for sometime.
"It's a bit of a mystery, but we would like to know more to bring closure," he said.
Const Mander asked for anyone who knew about the canoe to contact the Oamaru or Omarama police.
