Trompeuse River facts for kids

The Rivière Trompeuse is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows into the Rivière aux Écorces. This river is located in the Lac-Jacques-Cartier area. It is part of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve.

The Trompeuse River valley is found between two main roads. These are Route 169 and Route 155. Other smaller forest roads also serve the valley. These roads are mainly used for logging and outdoor activities.

Logging is the most important activity here. Tourism and recreation come in second. The area where the Trompeuse River meets the Rivière aux Écorces is famous. It is known for some of the best spring fishing spots in the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve.

The Trompeuse River usually freezes over in early December. It stays frozen until late March. It is generally safe to walk or travel on the ice from mid-December to mid-March.

River's Path and Surroundings

The Trompeuse River flows through a beautiful forest area. It is part of the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve. Many other lakes and rivers are nearby.

• To the north, you can find Lac aux Écorces and the Pikauba River.
• To the east, there are streams like Fortin and Cloutier.
• To the south, you'll find the Rivière aux Écorces North-East.
• To the west, there's more of the Rivière aux Écorces and lakes like Érin.

The Trompeuse River starts at a lake called Trompeur Lake. This lake is about 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) long. It sits high up, at an altitude of 612 metres (2,008 ft). This starting point is deep inside the Laurentides Wildlife Reserve.

From Trompeur Lake, the Trompeuse River travels about 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi). It drops 214 metres (702 ft) in elevation along its journey. The entire river flows through a forest.

Here's how the river flows:

• It first goes south for about 1.0 kilometre (0.62 mi). It passes through Lake Tiffaut.
• Then, it turns south for 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) to meet Fortin stream.
• It then flows west and northwest for 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi), crossing a marshy area.
• Next, it goes southwest and south for 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi). It passes through Second Lake Thivierge and Thivierge Lake.
• It continues south for 2.4 kilometres (1.5 mi) to meet Cloutier stream.
• Finally, it flows south for 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi), making a loop to the west. It collects water from about twenty small streams before reaching its end.

The Trompeuse River joins the Rivière aux Écorces. This meeting point is located:

• About 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) southeast of Lac aux Écorces.
• About 8.0 kilometres (5.0 mi) east of Métascouac Lake.

From where the Trompeuse River joins it, the Rivière aux Écorces flows north for 52.8 kilometres (32.8 mi). Then, the water flows into the Pikauba River for 10.6 kilometres (6.6 mi). It then crosses Kenogami Lake for 17.6 kilometres (10.9 mi). After that, it follows the Chicoutimi River for 26.2 kilometres (16.3 mi). Finally, it flows into the Saguenay River for 114.6 kilometres (71.2 mi). The Saguenay River then empties into the Saint Lawrence estuary near Tadoussac.

Why is it Called "Trompeuse"?

The name “Rivière Trompeuse” means “Deceiving River” or “Tricky River.” This name appeared on a map in 1928. There are two main ideas about why it got this name.

One idea is about where the river meets the Rivière aux Écorces. At this spot, the river widens and has five islands. This can make it hard to tell which is the main river and which is the Trompeuse River joining it. It can be a bit confusing, or "deceiving."

Another idea comes from going upstream (against the current). When people traveled up the river, they would reach a marshy area. Here, it was easy to mix up the wider stream coming from Lac du Chasseur with the smaller stream from Trompeur and Tiffaut lakes. An island in the marshy area made this confusion even worse.

The name “Rivière Trompeuse” became official on December 5, 1968. This was done by the Commission de toponymie du Québec, which names places in Quebec.

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