Boating
Get out on the Lake
But be careful. The lake is known for quick weather changes and storms that can make the water dangerous. In the summer the weather changes around 4 or 5 pm, and often a small storm will blow through the valley. It usually only lasts about an hour, just long enough to cool things off. The point is to never race the weather, since a short wait will make your trip much safer.

There are good destinations on both sides of the lake. Check out our trail map for the camping sites.

Fishing
Fishing is a challenge here
Lots of people catch fish from spring to fall, and almost nobody catches any in the winter. The lake is not known for filling freezers, or creels for that matter, but the fish we do catch are clean and beautiful in the pan.

Slocan Lake averages 900 ft. in depth, with sharp drop-offs on all sides. This means that the fish have many choices of depth to find their ideal temperature, making it hard for fishermen to find them.

Rainbow trout are caught most often, kokanee (a land-locked salmon) feed on summer evenings, and bull trout (locally known as dolly varden) feed off the eggs and fry of both. There are also whitefish, ling cod and sturgeon (the sturgeon are closed to fishing).

Fishing at the mouths of the creeks is the most popular, either from boats or floating flies out with the current. Larger fish up to 15+ pounds are occasionally caught, but not too often.

Fishing licenses are required for visitors and locals.

Swimming
Look how clean the lake is
Slocan Lake is a clean cool lake. Where else can you swim in water clean enough to drink? (The lake water is tested every year and always tests as drinkable). Swimming usually starts in June, when hardy souls and kids enjoy jumping in.

From mid-July to mid-September, the lake has warmed up enough that everyone can enjoy it. Sheltered bays and the few shallow beaches warm up even more. The west side of the lake has all the sand beaches, while the pebble beaches of the east side are a bit harder on the feet.

The first big storm of the fall brings up the cold water from the bottom of the lake and swimming is over for another year.