When the river fully fills at freshet, the lowlands near Tranquille fill, creating lagoons, bays, and channels among the tall shrubs. We can launch from a parking area near Tranquille and create our own route.
On a calm and cloudy day we are rewarded with reflections in the glassy waters.
On such days there can be a surreal, peaceful experience, best found with a kayak or canoe.
Each year we get about a month of paddling the floodlands, right in our backyard.
When the rivers rise in June the lands between the airport and Tranquille flood and we can kayak out and explore the channels.
When its windy out in the river, we can paddle a loop route in the protected bays and channels.
Ducks and geese can be found in the side channels and pocket bays with their young by their sides.
Reflections are at their best when the waters are calm and there are clouds in the sky.
Some video clips are shared from paddling in the floodlands:
Information on where to launch can be found here.
Between morning rain showers and an afternoon thundershower I launched my kayak from the McArthur Island boat launch and paddled down the Thompson River to the west end of the lagoon channel that goes around the island.
With high waters, the boat launch and the channels were full of water. Paddling downriver was quick because of the current.
In some years there can be low clearance between the channel and the bottom of the footbridge and it may be like that again soon. On this day it was easy.
The one obstacle was a flooded beaver dam at the narrowest spot near the west entrance, but I was able to plough my way through the debris on the way up and skirt the dam on the east side on the way down.
The final part of the paddling outing was back upriver which is hard work during freshet. Some moments of the paddling route are captured in a video:
During freshet, the lands near Tranquille flood and we can paddle the bays and channels on both sides of the river. We have to wait until the water rises above the fences which is usually the end of May. I launched from the parking area near the junction of the road into Tranquille and the Tranquille Criss Creek Road and paddled out and cleared the fence into the bay.
It was a calm day and the hills reflected into the lagoon.
Willow stands rise above the floodlands like small islands.
We can paddle right down to Cooney Bay, but on this day, I paddled through the bays and channels in a clockwise 6 km loop.
The water is fairy still in the bays and back channels. but the river continues to run down to the lake. On other days, i paddle across to the other side and go up the channels to create a loop route. On this day, I wound through channels on the north side of the river.
The pasture in from of Mt. Mara becomes Mara Bay with the mountain reflected in the still water.
The floodlands provide the best paddling of the year in June each year. We will be back a few more times.
On an overcast day, I launched my kayak at the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area parking pullout and paddled out into Tranquille Bay. With no wind the skies were reflected in the calm floodwaters.
There are many route choices possible during freshet, but on this day I kayaked down to Cooney Bay and back.
At the mouth of Tranquille River, eagles were perched in snags, watching for their next meal.
On the way back, a muskrat swam near the boat with a mouthful of vegetation from foliage out in the bay.
I did a loop out among the “islands” which are just taller shrubs and trees standing above the floodlands.
This 8 km loop can be done in June and in high flood years, much of July too. It is a special place when there is no wind in the channels and bays of the floodlands.
When freshet arrives the low-lying floodlands fill with water and we can paddle out from the Tranquille Wildlife Preserve into Tranquille Bay.
An early start often means no wind. At about 11:00 am the winds start and will be stronger yet by noon.
“Islands” of shrubs stand in the floodwaters.
The Thompson River and Kamloops Lake become one larger lake at this time of the year.
I paddled 2.5 km to the far side and entered a flood channel on the south shore. A series of channels can be paddled for another 2.5 km east.
At the east end of the flood channels there are some side channels, some of which can be used to get back to the river. This lagoon by the old pumphouse had a number of geese in the shallow water. I portaged across the grass for about 10m to get back to the river.
I paddled downstream and crossed the river to the north side, entering more flood channels, working my way back to Tranquille Bay.
The whole loop was 9.7 km, 2.5 hours of paddling through the flooded lands. After the river crests more birds, fish, insects, and other animals will settle into the area. We spotted osprey, hawks, ravens, crows, blackbirds, geese, ducks, and some small birds this time. On other explorations of the floodlands we have spotted river otters, beaver, muskrats, carp, herons, seagulls, western painted turtles, and pelicans. On the shoreline we have spotted bears, coyotes, and deer. Raptors patrol the skies. The Tranquille Wildlife Preserve is a wonderful place to explore in flood season.
I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands. At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake. The main channel is about 2/3 of the way across to the other side. The water moves more quickly there and is deeper. On the north side of the mouth are two channels, the one closest to Cooney Bay and one shallow channel farther over. In between the channels are a number of sand islands. At low water, the islands dry out, some with a few logs or other debris. I paddled up the first channel, past the gravelly beaches and cottonwoods by Tranquille.
I paddled up the first channel and then down the second one, watching for shallow spots since its no fun to ground the boat. I turned the corner at the lake mouth, then went up the main channel, paddling against the current and landed on a sand island.
I explored the island, examining debris and tracks. There were lots of bird tracks (mainly seagulls), but there was also a river otter tracks that started at one end of the island and went across to the other side. I have spotted river otters in this area a few times, especially during freshet.
I paddled over to the next island and explored it too. I tried wading through shallow water between the islets, but the super-saturated silts were like quicksand, with my boots burying deeper with each step.
After exploring 3 islands. I paddled to the south shore then looped back through deeper water in the lake to the launch spot at Cooney Bay. All of these islands will be covered in water by now and will have to wait until mid-fall to dry out again.
We are lucky to have access to this area, but it is rarely explored, except by a few who kayak into the lake.
In the right conditions paddling on the Thompson Rivers is great in March. On this mid-March day, there was no wind and blue skies. I paddled west from Pioneer Park, going under the Red Bridge, then the Black (CN) Bridge before passing through the Confluence. The river is quite low at this time of year and there are gravel bars in the confluence area. Much of the area is shallow because of silts deposited by the two rivers as they collide and merge.
Overlander Bridge is the third bridge on the downriver route. The half bridge is seen to the west, with 3 pillars still standing in the river.
The section down to Rabbit Island is relatively calm. Mara Mountain above cottonwoods reflected in the river as I approached McArthur Island.
I paddled down the north side of Rabbit Island to inspect the narrow channel. At its narrowest spot it is only about 8m across and only mid-calf deep. I was planning on wading over to hike around the island in the next week.
The return route is more difficult, paddling upstream for about 4 km. A rhythmic paddle stroke yields slow progress toward the confluence.
Old pilings in the river are easy to spot in low water. These ones were west of Overlander Bridge.
With no wind, it is easy to see how shallow the Confluence is. Mt. Peter and Mt. Pail stand above the meeting of the waters.
The sandy beach next to the boat launch in Pioneer Park makes a fine place to launch and land.
When there is more water in the rivers we can paddle around Rabbit Island, already planned for another day on the river later in spring.
Freshet brings meltwaters from the north and the east to Kamloops and the South Thompson River and the North Thompson Rivers join to bring floodwaters to the area near the head of Kamloops Lake. On the north side the 2km x 1km flatlands become covered in 2-3.5 meters of water to become Tranquille Bay. On the south side of the river the 2.5 km x 0.7 km areas also become inundated and channels and bays form among small islands and willow groves. If we paddle through channels into both areas, crossing the river twice, we can cover 10km in our kayaks.
By mid-May the floodwaters reach the shoreline near Tranquille, but we need to wait for the waters to rise enough to cover the barbed-wire grazing fences too. We can usually launch and paddle through this area for 6 – 7 weeks.
When there is no wind, the waters of Tranquille Bay are mirrors of the shoreline features.
Mara Mountain provides colorful background terrain, standing above Tranquille Bay and the Floodlands.
Willows stand out in the floodwaters like floating islands.
We often paddle south for 1.3 km to the river then we have a 1.1 km crossing of open water. Our seaworthy ocean kayaks handle any wind and waves well. Smaller boats without rudders should probably stay on the north side of the river on a windy day. All kayakers should be carrying a paddle float, tow rope, a bailer/pump, and some kind of communication device if crossing Kamloops Lake or the open river of this area. Too few kayakers have practiced self-rescue but they still venture into exposed conditions.
Once we are on the other side, the river channels provide protected paddling. The channels are a maze of navigable routes and dead-ends, but in general if we stay close to the shoreline we can paddle all the way through the south floodlands to the east end.
The channels of the south side have a special quality not available anywhere else in the Interior. There are some grazing fences on this side, but when the water is high, we drift right over them.
We take any channel that leads back to the river which we cross, using the current to take a long diagonal route northwest. Once we are on the other side, we look for more channels to work our way into Tranquille Bay. We took our time and paddled for 3 hours in a large loop.
On other days, we stay in channels and bays on the north side only (a good plan for smaller boats or less-experienced paddlers). We watch for wetland birds, turtles, raptors, muskrats, river otters, carp, and water-tolerant flowering shrubs as we explore the floodlands. We will continue to explore these “water trails” as they change with flood volumes right up to the point when the rivers drop at the end of June.
More Information:
By the end of summer, the McArthur Island boat launch has its gate closed and the lagoon begins to dry out. In the first week of September, there was just enough water to paddle out of the channel in a kayak. A week later it would have been a muddy portage. I exited to the river and aimed the boat upstream, paddling past the east end of Rabbit Island then turned with the current and came down the south side of the island.
The loop around Rabbit Island is about 4km of paddling with some extra effort required on the upstream sections.
 the water was very shallow at the boat launch |
 a narrow channel to get out to the river |
 the south side of Rabbit Island |
 gulls on the island beaches |
When the river floods in June the island is inundated with water channels, some of which can be paddled. There are a lot of ducks, geese, and riparian zone creatures on the island in June and July. By mid-summer the island is high and dry. We have spotted deer in summer and fall on the island.
 Mara Mountain above the river |
 an old dock washed up at the high water mark |
 coming around the west end of the island |
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The island is private property above the high water mark. We saw tents on the island in early summer though. The wide beaches on the north side of the island are a popular stop for boaters, all legal since it is below the high water mark.
From the south end of the island it is a 10 km paddle to Kamloops Lake, all downriver. Another on-the-water route we do is to paddle from Pioneer Park past the confluence of the river, past Rabbit Island, landing at Cooney Bay, a total of 17 km, a 2.5 hour paddle A two vehicle system is needed for that option.
We do most of our paddling on the river from March through May, then from mid-September to the end of October, the best months for avoiding fast-moving and noise-polluting power boats. As the water gets colder, we switch to wearing a spray skirt, but the water temperature stays moderate through most of the fall.
During freshet, the river runs faster so any downriver route is a quicker paddle. The route downriver from Pioneer Park to Tranquille Bay is 11.65 km and takes about 2 hours.
From the flooded boat launch at Pioneer Park, the kayak enters the current and I paddled under the Red Bridge then the CN Bridge. There was not much clearance under the train bridge and a week later it was impassable to regular boats. The confluence was a bit turbulent and the North Thompson River was wide and fast-moving. Beyond Overlander Bridge the river passes the old bridge pylons. I followed the north shore toward McArthur Island.
 Pioneer Park boat launch |
 the CN Bridge |
 looking north up the North Thompson |
 old bridge pylons |
I knew that Rabbit Island would be flooded and that at this time, there are navigable channels through the center of the island. From Rabbit Island the trip down the north shore is a quick one, with a few detours through flood channels near the Rivers Trail.
 in the Rabbit Island channels |
 Mara Mountain above Tranquille Bay |
Along the way were ducks, geese, gulls, crows, sparrows and other shoreline birds. An eagle was nesting in an aerie on the rivershore.
In Tranquille Bay we can spot western painted turtles sunning on logs if we approach quietly, drifting slowly to get closer.
The landing at Tranquille Bay is an easy one but a pickup system is needed or two paddlers with two shuttled vehicles. Later in the season, Cooney Bay is an alternative end point.
More information:
When the North Thompson and the South Thompson Rivers rise, the Thompson River expands and the estuary at the head of Kamloops Lake widens into a floodlands. We can launch a canoe or kayak from the BC Parks Lac du Bois Wildlife Management Area parking area. .This launch spot is suitable for canoes and kayaks only during freshet.
We paddle out through Tranquille Bay past the floodland shrub “islands” to the river, then across the river to the far side.
When there is no wind, there are many reflections in the calm bayous.
Willows are tolerant of the salt-rich alkaline waters. They are the dominant plant in the floodlands.
Clusters of willows and salt-tolerant shrubs make watery islands.
From the river, Mount Mara rises above and reflects in the water.
Kamloops Lake and the estuary become one, a larger lake during freshet.
Along the flood channels and in the bayous, there are carp, ducks, western painted turtles, cormorants, herons, eagles, osprey, geese, blackbirds, crows, and wide variety of birds and insects.
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We paddle quietly, careful not to startle the wildlife, listening for the calls of birds, always aware that we need to be as unobtrusive as we can in the seasonal Tranquille floodlands.
The floodlands offer the finest paddling in our area for May and June each year. Watch for our kayaks there.
Each year the rivers rise in May and they usually peak in June. When both rivers rise enough, the area near the east end of Kamloops Lake floods upstream for a few kilometers. We can launch our kayaks and paddle from Tranquille Bay to explore the seasonal channels.
Camping at Juniper Beach Provincial Park has both good and not-so-good features. On the less-desirable side, two railroad lines flank the spot and trains run throughout the night. The site has a few trees but for the most part is open and the campsites are side-by-side facing the river. There is power and water for hard-sided units now, along with showers, waste-water disposal, outhouses, picnic tables, a day use area and a beach.
On the good side, the river is a beautiful spot. Gravel bars with some sandy sections front the fast-flowing river. When the river drops, it leaves a pond, perfect for the little ones.
I launched my boat and tried to paddle up the river. The river runs very fast through this part of the canyon and I could only get up the first set of rapids, but could not get through the next set.
Turning back downstream are a series of claybank slopes and hoodoos.
Below the river is another set of Class 2 rapids. I wasn’t sure if could get back up them so I turned around and had to paddle hard upstream to get up to the campsite. Although it was fun to paddle through the fast water, the choices here are limited. We have paddled downstream from Savona to Juniper Beach before and it is a fun route with a number of Class 2 rapids along the 20 km route. Launching from Juniper Beach, though, does not offer much to a paddler.
We walked along the gravel bars up and down the river. The barren hills above show the semi-arid south-facing slopes of the Cache Creek – Arrowstone Hills.
From Juniper Beach are a number of interesting tours – Walhachin, Deadman’s Valley, and Back Valley. We chose to drive up the Battle Creek FSR to the Back Valley Road, then turned right to go east toward Deadman’s Valley in a 52.6km loop.
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Along the route we passed some lava cliffs in the Battle Creek Gorge, then Stinking Lake and Cultus Lake. As we descended into the Deadman’s Valley, the eroded cliffs and hoodoos rising above the river are another point of interest.
A more ambitious choice from the Back Valley Road would be to climb into the Arrowstone Hills, but there are no established trails. We plan to find some routes, but this is a big, remote area that will take some time to explore.
Apart from the railroad and the side-by-side camping, the area fronting the river is a nice spot for peaceful camping and walking. The alpenglow and rising moon signaled the end of each day while camping at Juniper Beach.
When the North and South Thompson Rivers rise from the spring melt, the boat launch at McArthur Island can be used to access the Thompson River.
During freshet, the volume of watyer increases and the current is stronger. Once we enter the river, we look for slower water to progress upstream. The north side shoreline can be followed towards Overlander Bridge, a good workout. We enter the main flow and go across the river to come down the channel on the south side of Rabbit Island. The current is slowest next to the island.
At the west end of Rabbit Island, we turn the corner to come back up the shoreline. The current is slower right next to the island, although the water is quite shallow. We enjoy paddling right around the island. When the river is very high, some of the interior channels of the island fill with water and we can explore them (article).
The Rabbit Island Circuit is about 6km. We could do an extra lap around the island or go downstream farther and could easily extend the paddle to 10km. The upstream sections add a good strength and endurance workout.
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