When the river rises in spring,  the McArthur Island boat launch is an easy launch for access to the Thompson River.   Each  year I paddle a loop route going upstream to the end of Rabbit Island, downstream around the island, across the river to the McArthur Island Slough, thorugh the slough to the end and back, then back upstream to the boat launch, a 7.75 km route.   I usually paddle up the shoreline first where the water does not run as fast, then cross over for the fast water at the top end of Rabbit Island.   The paddle down the south side of the island is easy.

The entrance to the slough between McArthur Island and the end of Holt Street is not easy to spot until close to the shoreline.   The passageway is only about 3m wide at one point, but then it widens out on the north side of the island.  It is a peaceful spot with still water and a number of waterfowl.

With the right amount of water we can paddle under the footbridge and continue on to the end at 12th Street where we turn around.

The final leg is upriver where the water runs quickly.   It is slower in the shallow water next to Rabbit Island so we continue upstream on that line before cutting across through the fast-flowing  river back to the start.

When the flood subsides, the sloughs start to dry out and a launch out of the McArthur Island may require dragging the boat across some mud flats, but I usually go elsewhere.   Launching from McArthur Island is best in June and July.