Category Archives: On the Lakes

Paddling the lakes in the many Kamloops area, some on main roads, but many in the backcountry too, and some more lakes found on our travels.

On Leighton Lake

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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:

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse Lake Kayaking

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On a mid-August day, I drove down to Nicola Lake, then turned left on to the Douglas Lake Road.    About halfway up the road, I turned left onto Lauder Road and followed it to Glimpse Lake.   there are two Rec Sites on the lake and either one would be fine to park and launch a boat.    Both were empty on this weekday morning.     My preferred launch, though, is an access road and launch on the first turn before the community of Glimpse Lake.    there is a good launch there and lots of parking.    On this day there was no other vehicles, and when I paddled the lake, no other boats on the lake.

The lake was calm and all was quiet on the lake.

The lake has a number of large shallow bays and by this date, there was lots of aquatic growth, but I was able to paddle the whole shoreline, going around bullrushes, cattails, milfoil, bladderwort, smartweed, and arrowroot.

A paddle around the shoreline is about 6 km, which takes me about 90 minutes.   A recommended lake to paddle.    More information can be found by clicking On the Lakes on the Menu Bar of this website.

 

 

Tunkwa Lake Kayaking

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On a warm summer morning I drove through Logan Lake, then down to Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park.     Most boats launch from the campground boat launch, but I prefer to park and launch from the day use area.    It is less used and on this day, there was no one else there.    The launch is on the southeast corner of the lake.    By mid-August the lake was down from both evaporation and draw down.     Many of the shallow bays were full of aquatic vegetation and the lake had some algae, but the main part of the lake was open water and I launched into calm waters.

In some of the bays on the west side, smartweed was in bloom, filling the waters with pink knotweed flowers.

I paddled around the lakeshore in about 90 minutes.    Cumulus clouds were turning to cumulonimbus clouds to the south and by the end there were some rumbles of thunder.

Tunkwa and Leighton Lake are favorite spots to paddle and hike.   Last year I paddled Leighton Lake, then hiked the Leighton Lake Trail.    This is planned again for late summoer or early fall.

We have also snowshoed around the edge of the lake in winter when the roads can be driven.    If conditions are right, we hope to return in late winter.

 

 

Jacko and Edith

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In the summer when time is short, I often choose Jacko Lake or Edith Lake.    they are closer to home, access is fairly good, and I can paddle either of the lakes in an hour.    These ae both popular fishing lakes so it is best to pick a weekday and get an early start.   On one of these days I arrived at Jacko Lake by 7:30 am.   The lake had dropped from evaporation and draw down at the dam.    Algae and aquatic vegetation had started to fill the shallow bays, but most of the lake was still good for paddling.

I paddled the lakeshore (about 4 km) and all was quiet on the lake except for ducks, a muskrat, loons, and one fisherman.    More information on Jacko Lake – link.

On a different morning I got an early start on Edith Lake, paddling clockwise around the lakeshore, going into all the bays.

Both lakes are surrounded by grasslands, offering scenic views around each corner.   A paddle around the lake is about 3.6 km.

A few images from the kayaking outings are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view.

 

 

There are several articles on both of these lakes on the website (Use the Search Bar) and there are videos on YouTube (click the link on the Menu).  

 

 

 

 

Badger Lake Kayaking

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One of the best lakes to kayak in our area is Badger Lake.    It is at the end of a longer bumpy gravel road.    We drive up the Knouff Lake Road and continue north.    There are lots of potholes, but we eventually reach the Badger Lake Road.   There is a BC Recreation Site on the northeast side of the lake, but there is a short road to a dedicated boat launch area before the site.     There is lots of parking and a good launch spot.    For this day, I launched and paddled north, past the campground and up to the north end of the lake.    From there I looped back on the other side, going into the back channel.     Some maps call this area the Spooney Lakes.     It is a long shallow and marshy area, perfect for kayaks, but not for motorized boats.

There was no wind and no mosquitoes at the launch.

The lake was like glass as I headed to the north end.    There is a dam at that end and I have never seen anyone at the dam access track.

There are some narrower spots lined by cattails in the back channels.

contAfter paddling around a bay in the back channel, I paddled north, then watched for the narrow channel (short cut) out to the main lake.


I finished the loop on the lake, paddling for about 90 minutes.    The lake was quiet and conditions were ideal.    Badger Lake will remain on my favourites list for a long time.

 

 

 

Hyas and Surrey Lakes

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When the heat and the smoke settled over the Interior, I used firesmoke.ca and Environment Canada forecasts to determine which direction to drive to find a paddling lake.    On one of those days, the northeast looked better so I headed up from Pinantan Lake to Hyas Lake (at 1237 m or 4058 feet).    Hyas Lake Forest Service Road was in good shape, though there were bumpy spots near the end.    There is a small BC Recreation Site on the south end of the lake with a hand launch area.   The site was empty so I launched into the lake.

There was some smoke in the area, but there was also some stormier weather coming in.    I paddled around the lake (4.3 km).

There was some rumbling to the south, but it was hard to spot because of the smoke.

On the next day the best direction to travel was southwest, so I drove up toward Logan Lake, then onto and up the Surrey Lake Forest Service Road.    Just before the resort, a rougher road goes west around the shore of the lake on its way to Sussex Lake.    There is a hand launch spot just off the road there.The air was cleaner and the lake was quiet for a paddle around the shoreline (5 km).

For the rest of the summer, I will plan a day of paddling wherever the smoke is less, getting an early start, and avoiding peak use.     There are still some more lakes on the paddling list for this year as I approach 50 days of kayaking.

 

 

 

Rossmoore Lake Kayaking

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We look forward to kayaking Rossmoore Lake each year.     It is always a long and bumpy backroad route in to the lake and back out, but it is a remote and quiet spot in summer.    In 2023 the Rossmoore Fire was started near the lake by a lightning strike.     The fire burned for a couple of months, scorching over 17000 hectares.    By October, it was no longer a fire of note.     Winter snows blanketed the area and there has been no known outbreak.   Work on the Trans-Mountain Pipeline nearby helped to keep the roads open and fallen trees cleared so the route to the lake was as usual.    I drove out the Long Lake Road and continued on to Ross Moore Lake.     There is a BC Rec Site at the lake with 4 camping spots and a hand launch area.    The access road down to the launch is requires high clearance.    On the day I went to the lake, there were 3 other fishermen on the lake, all with 4WD trucks and and rooftop racks.

When I launched the kayak, there was a light breeze on the lake.

There were many blackened trees around the lake.    The hillside up to the Ridge Lakes had multiple shades of black, brown, and green.    Much of the forest within view was burned.

While on the lake there were loons and ducks and some birds along the shorelines, but there was less habitat for small mammals and birds in the area.    The resilient lodgepole pine will fill in the areas over the next decades, after a number of post-fire succession of plant growth, part of the cycle for this area.

I returned by the McConnell Forest Service Road, better road, and the shortest route to the Rossmoore area.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

 

 

McConnell, Stake, and Lac le Jeune

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When the summer weather turns hot, I try to kayak 2-3 times each week, rotating to a different lake each time.     If conditions are marginal I may return to do a lake more than once.    I also opt for paddle-hike days and some lakes are better for the combination, although I am trying new routes at more lakes.    Recently I hiked near Community Lake, Face Lake, Hyas Lake, Surrey Lake, and Paska Lake.     Some of the established paddle-hike locations are McConnell Lake, Stake Lake, and Lac le Jeune.

I arrived at McConnell Lake early since it can be a busy spot.     I was first on the lake, paddling twice around the shoreline, once in each direction.

A  light wind was welcome on a warm day.    There were loons and ducks on the lake, and an eagle watching from a treetop.

On a hot day I paddled twice around Stake Lake, once in each direction, then secured the boat and hiked trails before the temperature got too hot.

There was no wind and this was a quick paddle around the lake.    Loons had a chick and raised a ruckus as I paddled the shoreline.

On a very hot day, I arrived early at the Lac le June Provincial Park Campground beach area and launched into the lake.   A paddle of the east end of the lake took about an hour.    I hiked the shoreline trail afterwards, keeping the distance relatively short as the weather became hot enough

I have more paddle – hike days planned – Logan Lake, Leighton Lake, Surrey Lake, and others.     Longer days of paddling will happen once the weather cools a bit.    Watch for me on the lakes….

 

McGillivray Lake Kayaking

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During the heat wave the daily plan was to get into higher terrain early in the morning for a paddle or a hike.    On one of those days I drove through Sun Peaks and up the Forest Service Road to McGillivray Lake.   With the early arrival and launch, I was the only one on the lake.   I paddle around the shoreline of the lake, enjoying the sunny day, the wildflowers on the shoreline, the birds by the lake, and the peaceful outing on a calm day.

The whole shoreline is forested and some areas are marshy.    There were ospreys and loons on the lake.    Fish were jumping, and birds were active along the forest – shore interface.

Kayaking around the shoreline is about 5 km, which takes about 70 – 75 minutes of steady paddling,    The ski runs of Sun Peaks were visible from the water while paddling north back to the start.

Near the end of the paddle and on the way back more people were arriving to paddle or SUP on the lake.    This is a great summer destination for a day on the water.

More Information:

Harper Lake Kayaking

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When the weather turned hot, all kayaking was planned for early mornings.    In addition, higher lakes were a little cooler.   Lastly, the goal was to paddle for 60 – 75 minutes,   With this in mind, I drove east toward Chase, then turned off the Trans Canada Highway just past the Niskonlith Reserve onto the Harper Lake Forest Service Road.     This is a narrow road that climbs through the hills.    It is gravelled and graded for the first part, but it is bumpy and a bit rough(high clearance) for most of the way to the lake.   The Harper Lake Rec Site is 5.5 km from the Highway.    There is a small dock there and a launch spot.

This is a quiet spot in the hills.    It takes about an hour to paddle the shoreline.    There were loons, blackbirds, killdeer, a muskrat, and a beaver lodge on the lake.    Yellow water lilies, marsh cinquefoil, and smartweed were in flower along the shallows

A few moments from a previous paddle on the lake are shared here.    We will be back to paddle the lake again next summer.

 

 

 

Community Lake Kayaking

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When the weather warms up in summer, we go to the higher elevation lakes.   We get an early start and paddle for 60 – 75 minutes.     the ratio of loading/unloading and driving time to actual paddling time is 2.5 – 3 to 1, but the locations are usually worth the extra effort.     On a sunny and hot summer morning I drove up the Heffley – Louis Creek Road, then turned onto the Knouff Lake Road.    Before Sullivan Lake at about 9km, watch for a sign for the Community Lake Road.    This is a good gravel road that climbs into the hills, bearing east for 5.5 km.

On a Friday the Community Lake Rec Site was full, but an early morning start meant easy access to the launch and parking area.

It takes about an hour to paddle around the lake.     There are a few small islands and a number or shallow bays to explore.

Community Lake is dammed at the south end.    Community Creek spills down a gully and joins Edwards Creek.    It continues south all the way down to Heffley Creek.

After paddling the lake I hiked around the south and east side of the lake on old backroads.      There is a maze of quiet tracks on top of the mountain to explore.

 

Roche Lake South

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To paddle the south end of the lake, we can launch from the main campground launch and paddle the whole lake (9 km) or we can paddle the north end from the northeast launch and, on another day, paddle the south end from the Roche Lake West Campsite.   To get to the west launch, drive toward Roche Lake, then watch for the right turn (signed) which leads to Horseshoe  Lake or the West Roche Campground.   The road has recently been improved and winds for 2.4 km to the lakeshore.    this is a smaller site so its not as good a choice on a weekend.    On a weekday morning, there were some campers and a small number of fishing boats, but the lake is a good size with lots of room for paddlers.

I paddled south to the end of the lake, then followed the east shore of the lake before crossing the lake back to the start, a 5.2 km kayaking workout.

Conditions were good on this early July morning.    The mix of sun and clouds gave the lake a silver sheen.

There were eagles overlooking the lake.    There were also ducklings (mergansers), loons, rising and jumping fish, a chironomid hatch, crows, and lots of shoreline birds.    It was relatively quiet on the lake, perfect for a summer paddle.    I will be back to paddle the north end in the fall.

 

 

Scuitto Lake Kayaking

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One of the best lakes to paddle in our area is Scuitto Lake.    It is usually a quiet spot, there are many things to see on a paddle around the shoreline, and there are usually lots of birds on and around the lake.    To get to Scuitto Lake, drive out Barnhartvale Road, turn onto the Robbins Range/Campbell Range Road, stay right, then turn onto the Scuitto Lake Forest Sevice Road.    This is a good gravel road all the way to the lake (12 km) and continues on to Campbell Lake.   There are two launch spots at the Scuitto Lake Recreation Site.

A paddle around the shoreline is about 5.7 km.

There are a number of shallow bays to explore, some small islands, and some marshy areas.    Mt. Vicars stands above the north side of the lake.

contA steady paddle of the lake takes about 75 – 80 minutes.    On this day there were loons and chicks, ducks and ducklings, blackbirds, marsh wrens, killdeer, crows, lots of swallows, and songbirds in the trees.   The lake was placid and even though it was the start of a long weekend, it was quiet for this morning paddle.

 

More information – Scuitto Lake

 

 

Paska Paddle

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Paska Lake is located under the slopes of Chuwhels Mountain, on the high plateau between Lac le Jeune and Logan Lake.      The Paska Lake Road turns off the Meadow Creek Road (to Logan Lake) and climbs through the hills, bearing north.   The Paska Lake Recreation Site is located on the western shore of the lake.    There is a boat launch there and lots of parking.   One day into summer I paddled around the lakeshore on a fine, sunny, and calm day.

 

Kayakers can choose to paddle down a shallow lagoon channel on the southwest corner of the lake.    By mid-summer the water drops and the aquatic vegetation fills in the channel.    On this day I was able to paddle about 2/3 of the way down the channel and back.    This is the outlet for Paska Lake.

The shoreline is marshy for part of the lake and forested on three sides.     There are a number of summer cabins and homes on the northwestern arm.    A paddle around the lake is a bout 4 km.

On this day there was a great blue heron, ducks and ducklings, geese and goslings, loons, shoreline birds, and many fish jumping.    This was a quiet morning of paddling in the high country.

 

More Information – Paska Lake

 

 

 

Kayaking Sullivan Lake

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Sullivan Lake is a fine recreational lake on the Knouff Lake Road.    We can launch a kayak or canoe from the Recreation Site on the west side of the lake.     There is also a hand launch in the community of Knouff Lake.    A paddle around the entire lake is about 5 km, but we can paddle most of the lake, avoiding most of the private homes and marshy shallow bays in just about an hour.     On a pleasant June day I launched into the lake and paddled a clockwise loop.    There was only one other boat on the lake on this weekday morning.

There was an osprey circling overhead.    Loons were keeping an eye on a loon chick while an eagle watched them from a tree nearby.   Ducks and ducklings paddled along the shoreline.    There are 5 islands in the lake; I have landed and explored two of the islands.

The lake can be busy on weekends so a weekday morning is recommended.    The road is good all the way to Knouff Lake.   A grader was working on the road that day.    Beyond Sullivan Lake, the road is bumpy all the way to Badger Lake.    I will be back to paddle that lake soon.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view.

 

 

 

 

 

On Horseshoe Lake

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On a grey morning with rain and stormy weather forecast for the afternoon, I chose to paddle Horseshoe Lake.    To get to the Rec Site on the lake drive toward Roche Lake, but turn onto a gravel road that goes to the West Roche Lake Campground.    Turn right (watch for the signs) and follow a good gravel road to the small Rec Site.    There is a boat launch there and adequate parking for day users of the lake.    The lake has two longer arms that are marshy.      The lake was fairly low so the marshy channels were quite shallow, just barely enough for a kayak.   We can usually paddle farther earlier in spring.

On this day there was one small fishing boat and only one trailer in the Rec Site.     I launched and had a quiet paddle on the lake, going around the shoreline twice (a total of 4 km).

There was a great blue heron in the west arm.    Two loons with two chicks sounded the alarm in the south end of the lake.    There were ducks with ducklings, geese with goslings, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, swallows, and American dippers on the lake’s edge.

 

By summer this lake shrinks and the shallow bays become filled with aquatic growth.     It is a nice spot for a spring paddle each year.