Skaha Lake, Penticton
Skaha Lake, Penticton, BC
About Skaha Lake, Okanagan Valley, BC
Skaha Lake is a gorgeous body of water that stretches for 11.8 km (7.3 mi) and has a max-width of 2.2 km (1.4 mi). It is perfectly nestled into the scenic Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, and is situated between the city of Penticton at the north end and the village of Okanagan Falls at the south end. The lake is also home to the quaint little village of Kaleden, which lies on its western shores.
The source of Skaha Lake is Okanagan Lake via the Penticton Channel. The channel is a very popular floating spot, bringing in loads of tourists looking to cool off in the peaceful lazy river.
The lake itself contains some of Okanagan’s most beautiful beaches and hiking trails like the Kettle Valley Rail Trail (KVR) and Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park. It is also host to a plethora of summertime activities including watersports like boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Fishing is also a major activity at Skaha and the lake is home to many confirmed species of fish such as kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, black bullhead, common carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, northern pikeminnow, yellow perch, mountain whitefish, longear sunfish, bluegill, and sockeye salmon.
History of Skaha Lake
The area around Skaha Lake had been inhabited by indigenous tribes for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans in 1867. Historically Skaha was known as Dog Lake in English and Lac Du Chien in French but was later changed to Skaha in 1930. The word “skaha” supposedly meant dog in the local Okanagan language, but the Okanagan tribe claims that the word is actually from the neighboring Shuswap tribe and that their word for dog is instead “chokowapee”.
Exploratory Glory YouTube Channel
Skaha Lake, Penticton, BC
How to Get to Skaha Lake
Map of Skaha Lake
Beaches of Skaha Lake
Skaha Lake Park and Beach (Penticton)
Sudbury Beach (Penticton)
More Okanagan Lakes and Beaches
