Paddling the North Canadian River
Once you leave the OKC
area, The North Canadian River becomes rather remote. The
future may hold more paddling opportunities with the addition of the impressive new Chesapeake Boathouse,
and new
outfitter OKC Kayaks you may find canoe
liveries, water taxis and shuttle services become more common on this river. The
fishing is quite good on the North Canadian River, local experts say
that the fishing is best on the North Canadian River when the water
level is falling rather than rising.
Boat ramps are also scarce on the North Canadian, most folks
access the river from public bridges like the one Bearden, Oklahoma
or Arbeka bridge.
Family History Camping on the North Canadian River
When I was a child, my folks would gather with our
extended family for trips camping on the North Canadian River.
Often, we would stay for weeks in our ragged caravan of tents,
trailers and truck-bed campers.
Some friends of the family owned farm land on the North Canadian
River and kindly allowed us entry for camping, fishing and hunting.
It has been too many years for me to remember how to get there or
even the names of any nearby towns. In those days, we just called it
Russell's Place. I caught my first catfish there and weathered my
first truly frightening Oklahoma hail storm there. I miss camping at
Russell's like I miss the boundless energy and easy friendships of
childhood.
When I was a child, just about every bridge over every major river
had access to drive underneath fish, camp or whatever. My friends,
the times have really changed! Today, old bridges are replaced by
new ones that are designed to 'protect' the river from usage.
The Hwy 48 Bridge
over the North Canadian River at Bearden, OK was accessible for
launching boats the last time we checked. There is a road leading
under the bridge that is pretty awful... even when dry but better
than nothing. Google Map of North Canadian River Access at Bearden on
Hwy 48.
My Dad says that litter and crime are the reasons why the
authorities have closed off so many of Oklahoma's bridges as river
access points. I can't help but believe there are better ways to
deal with these issues than shutting off public access.
North Canadian River to Eufaula Lake Trip
Last year, a fellow kayak paddler who lives near our lot at Dogwood
Acres in Pierce, Oklahoma suggested we paddle from our lot, down the
North Canadian River and across Eufaula Lake to the Jack Frisbee
boat ramp. He even created the cool map pictured here. Want
to meet him? Join
the Oklahoma Flatwater Paddlers and lookup Yakker!
Normally, Dianne and I have to take 'up-and-back-again' trips on the
river because we only have one vehicle and no shuttle. Needless to
say, we were thrilled to get a chance to do a 'one-way', downriver
trip and to meet one of our new neighbors.
The float trip to Jack Frisbee Boat Ramp is about 6 miles, most of it with a decent downstream
current. We started early in the morning to try and beat the heat.
This is pretty important for taking this particular trip during the
summer. Although the river portion of the trip offers some current
and quite a bit of shade, the last leg of the trip is pure lake
paddling in the blazing sun.
One of the downsides of paddling Oklahoma lakes is that the wide
open area offers little shade. Also, the lack of distance cues
around you makes it seem like you are paddling at an a very slow
speed. The feeling of slowness makes paddling across many Oklahoma
lakes feel very monotonous. There is also an element of danger when
paddling your kayak across a big expanse of water where ski boats
and personal watercraft race around at breakneck speeds. Kayaking
the North Canadian River is a welcome change from Oklahoma lake
paddling. The curvy, willow-lined banks of the river offer
shade like you will never see on a lake.
Despite a couple miles of paddling across the lake at the end, the
Pierce, Oklahoma to Lake Eufaula kayaking trip was a good one. Although not as scenic as
The Illinois River or
the
Lower Mountain Fork River, paddling the North Canadian offers
solitude, peacefulness and some cool bird watching opportunities.
The trip running from Dogwood Acres to Jack Frisbee Boat Ramp near
No Name Creek will be a float trip that I am sure we will repeat. The Frisbee
Boat
Ramp is right of Highway 150 and offers a great parking area that is
close to food, lodging, bait...whatever you need. Also, I love the
being able to launch from our river lot!
Floating from Weleetka to Wetumka
In high school, myself and a friend took a three day
trip down the North Canadian River in Dad's Jon-boat. As I recall,
we floated from a highway bridge in Weleetka, Oklahoma to a power
station near Wetumka, OK. We had a fine trip, though there was some
boat dragging due to the fact we paddled it in July when the water
levels tend to be quite low.
I recommend taking a small dipper net. Just about an hour from
sundown on the second day of our trip tons of fish just floated up
near the surface...live fish! The fish seemed stunned or something,
my friend Charles and I were just grabbing them with our bare hands
and throwing them onto the river bank.
We floated at night quite a bit because the mosquitoes were not as
bad in the middle of the river as they were on the sandbars.
Choose
a spray skirt for your kayak
.
