The Shuswap Lake

Shuswap Lake is among 21,000 lakes in BC but one of the very few lakes warm enough for easy summer swimming.  The shoreline estimates vary but most say it has approximately 1000 kilometers of shoreline.  When full, the Shuswap Lake covers 78,720 acres and is at an elevation of 1131 feet.  Thousands of residents around the Shuswap take their drinking water directly from the lake.  Shuswap Lake boasts a 25 foot clear vision and replenishes every 11 months.  Many people sport fish the lake in season for a variety of fish.  Rainbow trout; Lake trout; Dolly Varden; Kokanee; Salmon; Sturgeon; Leopard Dace and many, many more species call Shuswap Lake home.

There are numerous public accesses to the lake through Crown Land making a stroll on the beach easy.  There is a great number of public parks for the enjoyment of all.  Shuswap Lake Provincial Park in Scotch Creek is the showpiece of the BC Parks and a must on your visit list.

An average summer day will see the lake very calm at sun-up and fishermen enjoying the start of the day.  Mid-morning to mid-afternoon you can expect a light ripple on the lake, ideal for power boaters and water sports.  Late afternoon a bit of a breeze picks up and the sailing crowd are out to catch the wind.  By evening things calm down until sunset when the lake is again usually calm.  In the winter months, January - February, the lake has been known to freeze over approximately every 4 to 6 years.

Residents and visitors alike enjoy exploring by boat, and of common interest to all is the pristine beauty of our lake and great effort is made to keep it unspoiled and unpolluted.  A treasure we can all be proud of.