Kootenay Lake East Shore

Crawford Bay Reflection

Kootenay Lake is the gem of the Kootenays, and central to what makes this area special.  This large body of clean, fresh water defines the valley, moderates the climate in summer and winter, and provides endless opportunities for recreation as well as being simply beautiful, set against the backdrop of the spectacular surrounding mountain peaks.

Kootenay Lake lies in the Central Kootenay Region of British Columbia at 530 metres (1736′) above sea level, in the Kootenay Lake Valley.  The valley is bound by the Selkirk Mountain range to the west and the Purcell Mountain range to the east, with peaks ranging from 2100 – 2750 metres (7000′- 9000′).  Several of the higher areas sport glaciers and and year-round ice fields, particularly on the northern-most peaks.  Relatively young, geologically, the valley’s bounding mountains rose up from what was once a shallow inland sea about 170 million years ago.

Hiking in the Purcell Mountains

Kootenay lake is 145 km (90 miles) long, and up to 152 meters (500′) deep, with an average width of 4 km (2.5 miles), and is 8 km (5 miles) across at its widest.  It was formed during the Ice Ages, when glacial advances deposited till to the south, creating the rich farmlands around Creston and a large basin to the north.  At one time ice also blocked the western outflow, near Nelson, causing the lake to drain to the south.  Fed by numerous creeks, Kootenay Lake’s major source of water is the Kootenay River, which originates in the Rocky mountains and passes through Montana and Idaho before emptying into the lake, and is the second largest tributary of the Columbia River. The water here is pure enough to drink straight from the lake.

The area is categorized as an Interior Rain Belt, and the generous yearly precipitation supports a rich biological diversity, including mountain slopes heavily forested with a mix of pine, douglas fir, hemlock and cedar, and a broad range of flora and fauna.

Kootenay Lake Kayakers

Kootenay Lake’s rocky shores encompass hundreds of tiny bays and beaches, intriguing to explore by kayak or canoe.  It is not uncommon to find yourself the only boater visible across the lake’s expanse!  Kootenay Lake is home to Kokanee salmon (a land-locked sockeye), Sturgeon, Dolly Varden and trout, including the world’s largest species, the Gerrard Rainbow.  Approximately half of the lake shore has roads, with the balance being accessible only by boat.  Settlements are strung along a thin band where the roads follow the lakeshore.  Wilderness is always close at hand and human residents share the landscape with large populations of deer, elk, moose, bear, mountain goat, cougar, and coyote.

Kootenay Lake remains ice-free in winter, and wetlands at both ends of the lake and at Crawford Bay, including the 7000 hectare Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area, host over 260 species of migrating and nesting birds – even wild swans and pelicans!

Come experience all of this and more, at the last undeveloped large lake near the USA border.