Kamloops Trails features posts on kayaking the lakes and rivers of the area, but it also provides information on individual lakes and rivers. Driving directions, road conditions, launch facilities and parking, paddling information, cautions, pros and cons, pictures, maps, and videos are provided on separate pages for each location. Each page takes time so we are adding them one at a time. Two more have been recently added:
Click the links above to see the pages. More pages are being drafted and will be published over the winter.
Videos:
A number of Kamloops Kayak Videos are on YouTube now and more will be added. A return trip to Johnson Lake is planned with both a new post and a new video in mind.
A video on Pillar Lake is provided as a link here.
Near the end of the 2024 paddling season, a day in mid-November featured mild temperatures and sunny skies. The forecast had been for light winds early, then strong winds to develop by noon. I loaded the boat early and drove to Jacko Lake. I was on the water by 9:15. there was one fisherman on the lake, but no one else around. Cattle were grazing on the west side of the lake, ducks were feeding in the shallow bays, and a few birds could be heard near the shorelines. The lake levels were down by about 4 feet from spring so the bays were too shallow to paddle.
I paddled a loop route around the main part of the lake, going around twice, once in each direction.
There was some wind at times, but not too cold on this day. Jacko is one of my favorite lakes and it may be the last lake paddle for the year. This was the 72nd day of paddling in 2024.
After many days of windy conditions, we finally had a calm day suitable for paddling. In the first week of November I arrived at the Valleyview Boat Launch in the morning. It was 2ºC. It was all quiet at the launch for a paddle upriver on the South Thompson.
I paddled past the Wanda Sue and all of the riverfront homes. turning and paddling back on the other side of the river.
As I reached the upstream turn, the sun broke through the clouds over Sunset Hill.
When I paddle in the shoulder season, i try to keep the time on the water a bit shorter. This was an hour of paddling. Will this be the last day for this year? I hope not, but when the temperature drops and the shoreline starts to freeze up, its time to put the kayak to rest.
Shumway Lake was established as a venue for watersport competition for the 1993 Canada Games. Starting in 1990 ,we went through a process of looking at the lake as a site for rowing, canoeing, and water skiing. There were some challenges – permission to use Crown land on the shoreline, highway egress, algae bloom in summer, the costs if installing courses and facilities, and a busy highway so close to the venue. As Vice President of Sport, then Manager of Sports, Facilities, and Services for the Canada Games Society, I was involved in all aspects of the development of the site, then the staging of the Games. Volunteers ran the Games competition, then after the Games there was a concerted effort to further establish club programs, and over time to replace temporary facilities with permanent ones. We gave most of the competition boats to the Clubs and provided a boat house, and over the following years, the Clubs built additional facilities, replacing the underwater course, and establishing regional training centers, especially for canoeing and kayaking. The only reasonable access point into the lake is through the Shumway Lake Watersports Facility now and it is only open to members, but there are competitions and programs for visitors and competitors through the spring to fall seasons. Now, once a year I paddle the lake, using a rough launch outside of the facility.
This kind of launch will not be for most people so the lake gets very few paddlers, except for those using the lake through the Clubs.
I paddled north to the end of the lake and back, a total of 6 km. Next year I will paddle the south end.
On this October morning there was no wind and I enjoyed reflections on the calm water.
There was a couple of rowers on the south end of the lake when I started, but no one else for most of the time paddling the lake. This is a once-a-year outing for me, but paddlers may wish to check out the Kamloops Canoe and Kayak Club website for more information on paddling from the facility.
As the paddling season winds down, I look for calm and mild days to get out for a morning paddle on local lake or on one of the rivers. I had only paddled once on Lac le Jeune so at the end of the first week of October, I launched my kayak onto the lake on a morning with light winds. The plan was to paddle the west end of the lake and possibly go under the bridge to the smaller lake. The water was low and I could not go through the channel under the bridge so I paddled up the south shore to the end of the lake. I was the only boat on the lake as the sun rose in the east.
There was a light wind out of the west, but conditions were good. As I finished the paddle, the winds started up, just as forecasted.
As I finished securing the boat on the rack, the winds had arrived in earnest. A young couple arrived at about 10:30, but at that time conditions were not inviting on the lake. I use Environment Canada’s forecasts. We can narrow down the forecast to a specific area on the website/app and we can get hourly forecasts 24 hours in advance. Generally speaking, there is less wind from sunrise to about 10:30 to 11:00, then the afternoons are windier. I try to get an early start to paddle in the best conditions. there are days when strong winds start early in the morning. Those are the days I hike instead. I will have paddled over 70 days in 2024, another good year of kayaking.
On a cool morning in early October I drove east for 94 kms to White Lake Provincial Park. There is a boat launch near the northwest corner of the lake, but I continued around the lake to the park and used that boat launch, with a plan to paddle the eastern end of the lake. The lake is about 12 km around so I usually paddle the west end one year and the east end the next time.
There were a few late season RVs still in campsites and a couple of fishermen on the lake, but the lake was otherwise quiet. I kayaked to the end of the lake and along the marshy shoreline, then down the other side of the lake, crossing the lake back to do a loop route. It rained a bit during much of the paddle.
White Lake can be a busy spot in summer so I have opted to kayak the lake in the fall over the last few times. White Lake is a fine choice for paddling off season.
When stormy weather is forecast I look for opportunities to fit in a hike or paddle. This often means an early morning start. I use Environment Canada’s Hourly Weather Forecasts to look for opportunities. If kayaking is possible, I try to match the wind forecast (strength and direction) with a suitable location. Any lake that has a bowl shape and has treed shorelines (like McConnell Lake) is a better choice than a large lake with open water to the prevailing winds of the day. Edith Lake is a bit open, but it has parts that are sheltered from the wind. A paddle around the whole shoreline takes about an hour.
The winds were from the southeast so I aimed into the wind. Keeping the bow into the wind is more stable than paddling 90 degrees to the wind direction.
There are sheltered areas in the back bays too where the winds are not as strong.
Needless to say, there was no one else on the lake and this would probably true for most lakes in the area….
With the change in seasons, the weather cools and we see more windy days. We can paddle in the wind, but it is harder on larger lakes so we often choose to do loops on smaller lakes. Any lake that sits in a forested bowl below a ring of hills has more protection from the wind. This may mean doing two loops and if so, we paddle once in each direction. Two loops of these lakes takes about an hour so we can add a hike too, doubling the workout. Three favorite spots to paddle and hike were visited recently and are featured here.
On a mid-September day I was first on McConnell Lake and finished paddling before any other paddlers or fishermen arrived, then went for a hike. Click an image for a lightbox view.
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0009.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0005.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0010.JPG
Jacko Lake has less forest so can be a slight bit windier, but it is a scenic spot. Between summer drought and draw-down, the lake was significantly down and the shallow bays couldn’t be paddled.
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0015.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0013.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0012.JPG
One of the best spots to paddle and hike is Stake Lake. At the equinox, I paddled around twice, then hiked for an hour on the trails.
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0019.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0018.JPG
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0022.JPG
We still hope to get out to any lakes we haven’t yet paddled before the end of the season, but we are waiting for the right weather for these outings.
The Bush Creek Provincial Park site can be a busy spot in the summer, so I usually wait until September to kayak the south end of Adams Lake. The road into the park is 4 km north from the end of the lake. There is a nice campsite, a boat launch, a protected pebbly beach, and some bays to explore. On this day the forecast was for light winds, but there were stronger winds out of the north, with whitecaps forming over the middle of the lake. I started by going south along the shoreline.
Paddling into the sun with the wind at my back was fine, but I still had to keep an eye on the incoming waves. Around the point is a bay more protected from the wind, but there are cabins and the mill near the south end, so I turned and went back up the lake into the wind.
I aimed out to the middle of the lake to keep the bow pointing into the waves. Although its more work and slower, kayaks handle waves best going right into the line of waves.
contAfter paddling up the lake for a while, I came back along the shoreline. The winds abated right at the end.
Bush Creek is a beautiful spot to paddle. The water is clear and there are no private homes or much access to the lake north of the launch. We have paddled across the lake, landing at various spots for tea and beach time in the past. We hope to return for another paddle on the lake this year, possibly at Agate Bay.
In early September I drove out the Scuitto Lake Road and continued on to the Campbell Lake Recreation Site. When I went by Scuitto Lake I was surprised by how low the lake was. Summer evaporation, drought, and summer draw down had reduced the lake size noticeably. One of the boat launches was closed. The boat launch at Campbell Lake seemed to have seasonal levels, but there was a lot of algae in the lake. Much of the lake has shallow, muddy bays and by mid-summer the aquatic plant growth fills the many areas. It is a better paddle in late spring, but we may choose to go at the end of summer to see the pelicans, sandhill cranes, waterfowl.
I have paddled the lake when there have been dozens of pelicans, but on this day, there were only a handful, scattered in shallow waters around the lake.
There were more sandhill cranes, in small clusters on the south and eastern shoreline. Their calls can be heard right across the lake, making them easier to find.
Getting close enough to the pelicans and cranes is difficult when the bays become very shallow and choked with vegetation, so I used a long lens to photograph the birds, but it is still not easy from a kayak. I did a large loop route around the lake.
By this time of year there were only a couple of boats on the lake and few campers at the Rec Site. I was pleased to see the cranes and pelicans, but Campbell Lake is not a favorite. I prefer deeper lakes with clearer water, especially if the roads are long and bumpy. In any given year I will not get to all of the lakes in our area. Each year I drop some lakes off the list, mostly because of poor water quality, but also I prefer lakes that don’t have too many powerboats, too many private homes, or are too busy. I will try Campbell Lake again in May next year, but I may remove it from the list for future years.
Buse Lake is not really a paddling lake. It is smaller, there are no good launch spots, and it is an alkali lake with lots of aquatic growth. But, it is scenic, it has a different ecosystem, and would be very unlikely to meet another boat on the lake. On the last day of August, I drove to the lake and found my usual spot not available, since someone was camped at the access point. Instead I parked farther back. I had to haul the kayak down the slope, over a barbed wire fence and along to a shallow, muddy area. Most of the lake is within Buse Lake Protected Area, but the lower end of the park (around the lake) is protected because of the alkali environment and the wildlife that occupies inhabits the area.
The protected area continues all the way up to the Buse Hill. The bluff on the left is the viewpoint for that hike.
There were brine flies in the shallows. They feed on cyanobacteria, algae, and diatoms. Pondweed filled the shallow bays. Ducks fed on the flies and other insects. Killdeer hunted on the shoreline.
I paddle the lake to enjoy observing the life that thrives in the highly alkaline environment. This is a slow paddle, with no thoughts of time or distance.
In some summers, the lake becomes eutrophic, that is, it becomes nutrient rich, but oxygen poor. As the supply of fresh water dwindles, cyanobacteria and algae may multiply and the lake may begin to change color. On this day, the water was clearly alkaline, but not yet-oxygen depleted.
At the end of August I drove down to Falkland, then turned onto the Falkland to Chase Road. After arriving on the road at the southern end of the lake, I turned down a gravel road to the Pillar Lake Recreation Site. I launched my kayak before 9:00 am and paddled in calm waters along the lakeshore.
I paddled south to the end of the lake, and then back up the west side of the lake.
The lake is narrow with steep sides. There are a number of fallen trees along the lakeshore. On the eastern side the Pillar Lake Resort sits on a hilltop above the lake.
I paddled to the north end of the lake, then turned and paddled down the east side.
A paddle around the lake is about 5 km. On this day, I was able to do the whole loop in less than an hour. I try to paddle Pillar Lake every year. In some years, I drive a loop route, going north to Chase, then back on Highway 1. On this day, I secured the boat, then hiked to the Pillar before returning on Highway 97.
A new YouTube video features kayaking on Pillar Lake (coming soon).
On a late August day I drove through Logan Lake, then down to Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park. at a road junction i turned down the Leighton Lake Road and parked at the boat launch area. I launched the kayak and paddled around the lake.
This is a scenic paddle with forest and some cabins on the east side and grasslands on the west. Tunkwa Lake is directly south, on the other side of the dam. There were lots of ducks on the lake, some flowering aquatic plants, lots of dragonflies, and birds. After paddling the lake (3.4 km), I secured the boat and hiked the Leighton Lake Trail. A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption:
Access to Frisken Lake is limited to 4WD vehicles. I had hiked in previously so I knew what the roads were like. To get to the lakeshore, we need to drive the Smith Lake FSR on the west side of Roche Lake. When the gravel road goes under the power lines, a rough road follows the power line, bearing north. It climbs over a rough hill and then another rough road turns right and goes to Frisken Lake. I could have driven the roads in, but I am wary of the amount of wear and tear on the older truck. I chose to park by the power line, then backpack my folding kayak and gear in to the lake (1.5 km each way).
Frisken Lake is a nice spot to paddle or fish. It has marshy sides and is surrounded by forest.
I assembled my folding kayak, the paddled around the shoreline (2.5 km).
There was no one in the area, the lake was calm and peaceful, and I enjoyed watching the ducks, loons, and lakeside birds.
Frisken Lake is the eighth lake I have paddled in Roche Lakes Provincial Park. There are still more, but they will require a longer backpack to get a boat in. I have hiked them, so I know what will be required, but Bulman Lake and Ernest Lake will remain on the list for a future backpack.
