Gunkholing, Ontario: Black Bay in spring (Ottawa River)

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Black Bay in spring (Ottawa River)

Great sandy beach, but only during low water levels

I discovered Black Bay about 20 years ago, and it's still my favourite paddling destination between Ottawa and Arnprior. Black Bay is on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River above Chats Falls dam. The area is relatively isolated from boat traffic due to the dam and the treacherous waters under the Morris Island railroad bridge. There is some road access into Black Bay and one inlet in the NW corner with a few houses/cottages from the Quebec side. Even with the road access and the one development, I rarely see a powerboat on the water. That's probably due to the many uncharted rocks and shoals, especially when the water level is low. The water's height seems to vary a fair amount (3-4 ft) at any time of the year, I assume from the dam's activities.

Morris Island and Black Bay (Google Earth)

From the Ontario side, getting into Black Bay can be a bit of a challenge! There is only one public access to launch a canoe or kayak in this section of the Ottawa River, and that's the parking lot at the Morris Island Conservation Area. Then, it's a one-kilometre paddle across open water to the Quebec side. The river currents can be quite strong (especially in the spring), so some caution is required.

On Sunday, when I went for a paddle in my 14ft Widgeon kayak, the Ottawa River was very low, and the current was moderate (<2 knots). I find it best to go straight across towards a small island (X3) on the Quebec side and then look for a path into Black Bay (X4, X5, or X6). The entry depends on the water height and where you are heading, but I always get into the bay as soon as possible to get out of the river's currents. Once in the bay, there are three choices of channels that you can follow heading west (ch1, ch2, or ch3).