Trapp Lake is a long narrow lake in the bottom of the gully south of Shumway Lake. There is a good launch spot halfway down the lake. It is one of the lakes in which the ice clears off early, so I usually pick it for a spring paddle.
I paddled down the west shore and then back on the east shore, a 10.3 km loop.
Much of the lake is surrounded by steep hills but in the southeast corner, then hills are lower and more open. Eroded ridges and gullies have been shaped by water.
Two bald eagles perched on a snag near the north end of the lake, and they stayed for a portrait.
Over the year I paddle about 66 days, rotating the location for most outings. The ice will be off the upland lakes soon, so I will paddle the lowland lakes first, then drive to the higher lakes as spring deepens.
On a calm early April day we launched our kayaks from Cooney Bay and paddled into the rivers flow, down to the lake. We rounded the corner and followed the shoreline of Cooney Bay. Our route continued past a few fishermen, rocky bluffs, gravely and shingled shoreline beaches, and railway fixtures toward Battle Bluff. We passed the tunnel under the bluff and continued around to the west side of the bluff.
The sheer cliffs of Battle Bluff were bleached white in the low-water conditions of early spring. When it is windy, we can tuck in behind the bluff for sheltered paddling. The wind whips out around the point so on those days, we veer out and enjoy the wind-assisted return voyage. But on this day, conditions were warm and calm, so we rounded the point and started the 1.5 km crossing of the lake. We don’t recommending crossing the lake in windy conditions, nor in a small boat. Our kayaks are ocean kayaks, seaworthy, with rudders and structural stability.
We crossed over to the beautiful stone arch, constructed with quarried blocks in the 1880s, still in use today by the CPR. We paddled right underneath, but it is rocky in low water.
We returned on the south shore right up to the river delta which was all sandbars and islands. Sandhill cranes whooped overhead, a bald eagle tried to grab ducks in Cooney Bay, making multiple attempts, an immature eagle perched on a sand island, ready to attack. People were arriving at Cooney Bay for a dog walk, a family picnic, or to fish. We landed and completed our 10.4 km paddle.
sandhill cranes overhead
bald eagle attacking ducks
immature eagle on patrol
blind arch trestle
We try to paddle the lake when calm conditions are forecast, launching out of Cooney Bay, Tobiano, or Savona. We also paddle downstream from town, landing in Cooney Bay, with a shuttle system. In freshet, we launch just east of Tranquille at a parking area and paddle out over the fencelines into the floodlands at the river delta, usually in June.
One of the lakes we return to paddle each year is Badger Lake. Access to the lake is either past Knouff Lake (7 km) on a bumpy back road, or up the Orchard Lake Road (13 km) from Highway 5 North. The road goes up the east side of Badger Lake to a B.C. Rec Site. There is now a separate public boat launch just before the campground. It is a bit of a longer drive on backroads to the lake, but it is worth the drive.
From the boat launch the main part of the lake runs north-south for 2.3 km. Forested hills rise above the lake on either side.
Not shown on the map is a shallow, narrow channel (near the southwest corner of the lake). Kayaks can paddle through that channel to the marshy areas on the west side.
Even in September there was enough water to allow for easy access under the forest canopy.
The marshes on the west side are surrounded by rushes and reeds with ducks clustered in sheltered areas. Dragonflies patrolled the calm waters in search of prey. There is another 2.3 km of exploration for paddlers in this part of the lake.
Another channel on the north end of the marshes provides access to the main part of the lake. Following the shoreline around the lake bays and channels is 8.3 km.
A young loon surfaced in the lake nearby. Fishing line had become tangled in its beak. It will be unlikely to survive the winter.
I drove up to Badger Lake via Knouff Lake but I drove down the Orchard Lake Road, stopping on the way down to hike into Struthers Creek Falls (link). WE will return to paddle Badger Lake again next year.
Palmer Meadows Lake lies in the hills east of Stump Lake, not far from Dardanelles Lake. It is a dammed lake with the reservoir benefiting waterfowl and ranchers that need summer irrigation. The dam has created a larger lake, flooding copses, meadows, marshes, and low areas. Access is by backroads (Old Kamloops Road > Fraser Road > Palmer Dam Road (no signs) for 14 km. Navigation will be required to go to the lakeshore and there are some high clearance areas along the way. The lake can’t be seen until the last minute and there is no visible public road access and boat launch area. There is a short side road that may be on private property or on Crown grazing lease (or licence) with a gate (close the gate behind you), but paddlers will have to haul their boats down the bank on either side of the dam area. We found two reasonable launch spots on the west side of the lake, although these spots may need permission from land owners or lessees (there is no signage though).
This is a scenic lake with many bays, channels, wetlands, islands, and marshes. Paddling the whole shoreline is an 11.5 km venture.
There are cutblocks on the hills, meadows and pastures, forested areas, cattle grazing areas, and wetlands around the lake. Fall colors had started in early September. There was no one else in the whole area. The nearest person was probably a fisherman on Dardanelles Lake, only 3 km away, but an hour’s drive. I doubt that anyone fishes in Palmer Meadows Lake.
Much of the lake was shallow so there were many ducks in every bay. Loons were on the lake too and raptors patrolled the area. A red-tailed hawk perched on a branch overlooking one arm of the lake.
There was no road access to the east shore of the lake (that I could see), but there was the remains of an old homestead, an isolated spot in the hills.
This lake took over 2 hours to paddle on a sunny, breezy day.
Bleeker Lake is a long narrow lake located just north of Roche Lake. To get to the lakeshore, drive up the Roche Lake Road and then turn left onto the Bleeker Lake FSR (3 km before Roche). Follow the bumpy 2WD road to the west end of the lake. There is access to the lake off a side road, close to the dam, but there are better facilities at the BC Rec Site on the north shore of the lake, 1.2 km farther on the gravel road. There are campsites there with outhouses, parking, and a gravel boat launch. I launched and then paddled east along the north shore for a clockwise 5 km loop around the lake.
The shoreline is a bit rocky in some areas and marshy at either end. As an amateur naturalist/photographer, I enjoy watching for aquatic plants, dragonflies, insect hatches, shoreline wildflowers, ducks, birds, and natural formations. A kayak moves quietly along the shoreline and with curiosity always engaged, I watch for what is around each corner.
Damselflies and dragonflies were patrolling the lake and the shallow marshes. These damselflies were starting the process of fertilization for a new batch of eggs for the next year. This position is sometimes referred to as the heart or wheel position.
When we paddle close to reeds, rushes, and submerged fallen trees, we can spot exuvia/exoskeletons when the nymphs of dragonflies and damselflies climb up into the air to shed their skins.
Exuvia are the remains of the exoskeleton and other parts after the insect moults.
Along the lakeshore were old stumps that became flooded in when the lake was dammed. Moss was growing in the wet wood fibers and marsh skullcap was growing in the moss. Scutellaria galericulata is an upright perennial in the mint family. Hooded tubular flowers emerge from the same side of the stem. It only grows in wet areas.
At the east end of the lake in shallow water, lily pads, smartweed, aquatic buttercup and other aquatic weeds grew in the water, rooted in the muddy bed of the lake. We were also pleased to spot some patches of bur-reed. Sparganium is an aquatic perennial that grows in marshy areas. Strap-like leaves grow from rhizomes under the lake and in summer spherical flowers emerge. Seeds are spread after flowering to sink into the muddy bottom of the marsh.
There was no one else on the lake at that time so other than the usual ducks and shoreline birds, it was a quiet paddle, moving along with the water striders and damselflies. We return to the Roche Lakes area frequently to paddle some of the lakes and hike between them. A new phase is upcoming where I will be hiking into some of the more-difficult-to-get-to lakes with an inflatable board. Watch for updates this fall.
When we travel to the lakes of our area to the Interior, we usually try to go a lake that is large enough to warrant the time an effort to load up, drive, launch, reload, and drive back. We prefer a lake that has a 5 km shoreline or longer. If we choose a smaller lake, we try to paddle then hike or to try two lakes in the area. On a hot summer day, two small lakes were chosen, Shambrook and Lodgepole Lakes.
No one paddles Shambrook Lake. It lies between Walloper Lake and Lac le Jeune and it has very limited access. It is right next to the road, but it required me to haul my 18 foot kayak to the shoreline and do a wet launch in the reeds. Half of the lake is hidden behind a treed isthmus, out of sight. I launched and paddled the 2 km shoreline.
On the north side is the Lac le Jeune Road with the Coquihalla Highway directly above.
The lake is mostly shallow and there are lots of fallen lodgepole trees to paddle around but it was a pleasant paddle, to be done once only.
I reloaded and secured the kayak, then drove up to Lodgepole Lake. There are 3 spots to choose from to launch a kayak or canoe. It is a small lake with only a 1.3 km paddling distance around the shoreline.
A loon and chick were on the lake, keeping an eye on the fishermen.
The loon chick was getting large enough to swim on its own, but stayed close enough to the parent, just in case. Chicks can be attacked by bald eagles, osprey, or ravens if they swim too far from protective parents.
I thought about doing a third lake but all the loading, unloading, and securing the boat onto the truck’s roof takes time and patience so I settled for a 2 lake day instead. I had paddled Lodgepole Lake before once on a smoky day, but Shambrook was a new lake for me, one more in 100+ lakes in the area.
Ross Moore Lake is a pleasant lake in the Lac le Jeune area, but its not easy to get to. The best road access is to drive out onto the Brigade Lake Road, then turn onto the Long Lake Road. After the last ranch, the road is not maintained very often so it will requires some slower driving on backroads, turning onto the Ross Moore FSR and continuing for another 6.5 km. There is a small BC Recreation site at the southeast end of the lake where visitors can park, then launch a boat. On this summer day, though, we drove across the dam on the south side and parked at a small pullout there.
Ross Moore is a quiet spot surrounded by forest at 1280m (4200 feet).
A paddle around the lakeshore is 3.4 km.
On the journey home, we drove the same road back, but then turned onto the McConnell Forest Service Road which took us back to the Lac le Jeune Road in 13 km. We like the Long Lake Road a little better since it is more scenic, but either road is about the same in terms of road quality and distance.
We padded up Clearwater Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park to the Diver’s Bluff Marine Campground, then hiked the Eagle’s View Trail. We launched our boats (canoes and kayaks) and headed up the west shore of the lake. With calm conditions we were at our destination in about 75 minutes.
From the boat launch at the end of the Wells Gray Corridor to Diver’s Bluff is 6 km. We got an early start for our paddle up the lake. The lake was calm and quiet. In the distance we could see Garnet Peak and Mt. Huntley at the end of the lake.
The deepest part of Clearwater Lake is at Diver’s Bluff, named after the cliffs where adventurer’s jump into the lake not far from the the campsite.
We landed on the shoreline then donned our hiking boots for a steep 3km return hike to the bluffs overlooking the lake.
This pleasant trail winds through a damp forest before climbing the ridges above.
From Eagle’s View the south end of Clearwater Lake stretches down to Osprey Falls.
To the southeast the Trophy Mountains rise above the hills of Wells Gray Park.
To the east Azure Peak stands above the lake.
We returned back to the shoreline and then paddled back down the lake. A light tailwind made the paddle back easier.
Clearwater Lake is a wonderful destination to paddle (and to camp) so we were pleased to return to do a 12 km paddle plus the 3 km hike, an all-day venture (with 2 hours of driving each way).
We camped at Haynes Point Provincial Park to do some paddling in the South Okanagan area. Osoyoos (“narrowing of the waters”) Lake is 18 km long with 2/3 north of the border and the south end in the United States. Haynes Point is one of the “narrowing” points with a shallow passage on the east side of the lake. South of Haynes Point the International Border is only 2 km away. US Customs has live cameras on the lake, patrol boats, and aerial coverage, although we saw none of that over the 3 days we were on the lake. One kilometer to the north is the Town of Osoyoos. To get to the rest of Osoyoos Lake (the north end), we paddled under the Main Street Bridge.
Our campsite was right on the end of the point with our own beach.
The dry, desert-like hills surrounding Osoyoos Lake invited some future exploration on foot.
I paddled down to the border on the east side then along the watery border where there were some anchored buoys marking the boundary in the middle of the lake and then over to the west shoreline.
On the west side was a short road with red pylons, right below the vehicle border crossing.
I was amused that there was a flock of Canada geese on the Canadian side, but none on the US side. The to-the-border-paddle-loop back to the campsite was 7 km so I paddled around Haynes Point into the harbour too.
On another day we paddled north through the harbour, under the Main Street Bridge, and up the west shore of the lake on a 9 km paddle. We were interested in the rocky and open-forested slopes of Anarchist Mountain Protected Area on the east side, noting it for another day of exploration in the area.
There were a number of geese, ducks, loons, eagles, herons, osprey, swallows, blackbirds, and other birds on the lake, including this flock of ducklings.
To paddle the whole lake is too long (40 km) for just two days so we will leave the north end at least for another visit.
Whitetail Lake lies in a valley in the Purcell Mountains about 28 km from Columbia Lake in the East Kootenays. Access is by the Findlay Creek Forest Service Road near Canal Flats. The final section is on the Whitetail FSR to the Whitetail Lake recreation Site. The lake is a destination for camping and fishing, but we traveled out there to paddle the lake in our kayaks.
The lake had the clear blue-green water from marl shoals.
Surrounding the lake are forested hills with snow-mantled higher peaks of the Purcell Mountains providing a scenic backdrop.
We paddled the 9 km lakeshore on a calm and sunny day, enjoying the peaceful mountain lake.
Whitetail Lake is managed by the Ministry of Environment as a trophy lake, stocked with Gerrard trout and brook trout. We spotted many of the fish in the clear waters below our kayaks.
We had good access for launching and parking at the Whitetail Lake Recreation Site. For recreational paddling, this is a recommended destination while visiting the East Kootenays.
In early May I paddled down the Columbia River from Invermere to Radium, a distance of about 16 km. The river was low and slow-moving except for 3 spots of faster water. Adjacent to the river are many wetlands so birds and waterfowl were abundant along the way. The launch spot was by the Athalmer Bridge at the outlet to Windermere Lake. the landing was at a backwater channel next to the Forsters Landing Road bridge below Radium. Although the railroad follows the shoreline of the river I was lucky that there was no train running for the 2.5 hour downriver run. Along the way there were great blue herons, bald eagles, a golden eagle, ospreys, loons, barrows golden eyes, mallards, kingfishers, and numerous small birds. The paddle whetted my appetite to continue the run downriver in some future trip to the Kootenays.
Taking photos from a kayak is never easy but when the water was calm and the hand was steady, a few turned out well. These were combined into a video:
Watch for a future report for a downriver paddle from Radium to Golden (105 km).
In late fall, we drove out from Barnhartvale on the bumpy Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road for 12 km to the Rec Site on Scuitto Lake. It was a sunny day for a 5.2 km paddle around the lake shoreline. We met pelicans and skeletons along the route.
The Scuitto Lake Rec Site has been rebuilt and has designated camping spots, new washrooms, and a good boat launch.
Scuitto Lake is a flooded lake, that it, it was dammed to provide water for late season irrigation and now to provide for recreational use. Scuitto Lake is drained by Scuitto Creek which descends 5 km northwest down to Campbell Creek. The shoreline has some interesting rock features, and lots of stumps, root stalks and twisted driftwood (the skeletons on the shoreline) left behind when the lake was expanded.
While we there, there were 4 pelicans on the lake, a bald eagle, and many ducks. Hover your cursor over an image in the gallery for a caption or click one for a larger image and a caption.
From Bruker Marina at Tobiano, Rousseau Hill stands above the north side of Kamloops Lake. This is a great spot to launch to explore the middle section of the lake and all its bluffs, eroded slopes, silt cliffs, gullies, hoodoos, volcanic features, and shorelines.
It is a 2 km paddle across to the far shore, below Peregrine Bluffs. On this late summer day, the route was across then west along the length of Rousseau Hill to Rousseau Creek.
Kamloops Lake is always scenic, but it can also be windy so paddlers need to have seaworthy boats and have some experience in larger lakes. On flat water it is about a half paddle across.
Peregrine Bluffs rises steeply above the CNR tracks. We have been able to spot peregrines from the top by following the guano marks to nests in rocky alcoves..
Just below the CN tracks is a small abandoned shack made from logs and railway ties.
There are a number of different erosion features on the slopes of Rousseau Hill.
The shoreline is rocky with few landing spots between Red Point and the beach at Twelve Mile/Rousseau Creek.
Ragged volcanic features are the highlight of the south side of Russeau Hill.
Below the bluffs are erosion gullies running down to the lake.
The treeless slopes have alternate ridges and gullies right down to the sagebrush.
Our paddle also included an exploration of the abandoned Twelve Mile Ranch acreage, to be shared in a later post. On the way back we paddled right across the lake just below Balancing Rock
The loop route was about 11 km, another great day on Kamloops Lake.
One of our favorite lakes to kayak is found far up in the hills north of Kamloops. Badger Lake has an upgraded BC Rec Site for camping and a new boat launch area. To get to Badger Lake, most vehicles turn north off the Sun Peaks Road, heading toward Knouff Lake, then they just keep going all the way to Badger Lake. There are just about always lots of potholes and puddles after Sullivan Lake so it is a slow 7km drive. There are signs along the way to get us to the lake, ignoring turns along the way. Just before the campground is a signed gravel road that points the way down to the boat launch.
There is lots of parking and easy access to the water in the middle of the lake.
The lake is in a forested setting but clear water and a variety of trees makes a picturesque paddle
One of the best things about Badger Lake is a back channel of shallow lagoons sometimes called Spooney Lake.
Paddling through the back channels adds an extra 3km of quiet paddling, usually with good opportunities to see ducks, geese, loons, and eagles. The marshlands have wide channels to paddle among the rushes and reeds.
Paddling the whole lakeshore is 8.3 km. It is a popular spot for fishing too, but on a late summer mid-week paddle, the lake had only one other boat on it.
We chose to drive back on the Orchard Lake Road, a good resource road that goes down to McLure, but the junctions are unsigned so it may not be for all drivers.
We recommend both Sullivan (Knouff) Lake and Badger Lake as great paddling destinations. We have also paddled nearby Little Knouff Lake (difficult access) and Community Lake.
There are a number of lakes in the Roche Lake Provincial Park area. Some are easily accessible like Bleeker Lake, Roche Lake, and Horseshoe Lake and some are harder to get to, requiring high clearance or 4WD. Horseshoe Lake Campsite/boat launch is off the West Roche Lake Road and the branch road is clearly signed. The road is a bit bumpy with some potholes, but is suitable for most vehicles. At the end of the road are 4 primitive campsites, a gravel boat launch, and lots of room for parking.
The boat launch starts in shallow waters On this summer day there was no one at the lake.
Much of the lake has a marshy shoreline. Behind the wetlands is montane forest.
Paddlers can go down a number of marsh channels to explore. this one was covered in lily pads and smartweed.
Dragonflies were abundant in the marshes and along the shoreline. This one landed and stayed long enough for me to get a photo from the kayak.
Some of the shallow areas were full of aquatic plants, a great place for fish to hide from predators.
Smartweed was in bloom in some of the shoreline alcoves.
A few lilies were in bloom too, with others emerging.
A small creek on the northeast end filled the lake from Roche-Tulip-Rose Lakes and a dammed channel was draining north to meet Bleeker Creek on its way down to Campbell Creek.
There were many interesting spots to explore around side channels, around reed-rush islands, and in shallow bays. The shallows are full of life and a quiet paddle on a quiet lake is a great way to experience the wetlands.
A paddle around the lake is only about 2.7 km so it is best suited to an exploratory paddle of the wetlands, but it could also be combined with another lake in the area.
Jacko Lake is one of the closest lakes to Kamloops and at a low altitude, it is also one of the first ice-free lakes for fishing. It is a busy place in spring so we paddle on the larger lakes early and come back to Jacko in summer when the lake heats up and fishing is not so good. When we go there in mid-summer, we may be the only ones in the launch area. The paddle around all the lake, going into all the arms of the star-shaped lake is about 5 km.
The parking area provides easy access for both launching and landing.
Grassland hills surround the lake.
In each of the lake’s arms, the water is shallower and has marshy sections full of water insects, ducks, frogs, blackbirds, and muskrats.
On this day there were a dozens of ducks, mostly barrow’s golden eyes.
In the sheltered bays, reflections welcome paddlers.
Jacko Lake is really more of a Peterson Creek reservoir. It has past mining activity to the north and east. The dam on the east side of the lake is opened for late summer draw-down for ranches downstream. But is is also a stocked lake (rainbow trout) for fishing. In the shallow bays hatches were obvious and we hear that a good bet is chironomids.
The access road in can be a bit rough, but is suitable for most vehicles. Right at the junction is Inks Lake, another good spot for a summer paddle.
I paddled down the west shore and then back on the east shore, a 10.3 km loop.
Much of the lake is surrounded by steep hills but in the southeast corner, then hills are lower and more open. Eroded ridges and gullies have been shaped by water.
Two bald eagles perched on a snag near the north end of the lake, and they stayed for a portrait.
Paddling through the back channels adds an extra 3km of quiet paddling, usually with good opportunities to see ducks, geese, loons, and eagles. The marshlands have wide channels to paddle among the rushes and reeds.
