Located in the southern interior of British Columbia, nestled amongst the spectacular Monashee mountain range, Shuswap Lake has over 1000 kilometres of shoreline to explore. Shaped like a skewed capital ‘H’ the lake is made up of four large arms: the Shuswap Lake Main Arm, Salmon Arm, Anstey Arm, and Seymour Arm, all arms converge at Cinnemousun Narrows, northeast of Sicamous.
Shuswap Lake is the hub of a vast system of waterways expanding the recreational opportunities far beyond the four main arms. The lake connects to Little Shuswap via the Little River, which flows from the end of the west arm. To the north-west it is fed by the Adams River, world famous for its annual salmon run, draining Adams Lake. Shuswap Lake connects to Mara Lake at the Sicamous Channel. In the south-west the Salmon River flows into the lake at Salmon Arm. The Eagle River runs down from the Eagle Pass in the Monashees to enter the lake at Sicamous. The Seymour River empties into the northern end of Seymour Arm. In addition to these rivers, numerous creeks feed the lake, including Scotch Creek, which runs south to the north shore of the main arm.
The Trans-Canada Highway connects the main communities of the Shuswap Lake region. Travelling east from Vancouver, Blind Bay is a five hour journey from the coast. Salmon Arm, twenty minutes east of Blind Bay, is the main commercial and retail hub of the Shuswap. Sicamous, ‘The Houseboat Capital of Canada’, is an easy forty five minute drive from Salmon Arm.
Secluded beaches, protected waterways and the seemingly endless shoreline make Shuswap Lake the hub of a year-round recreational haven. Further information regarding the activities and facilities of the region can be found at Shuswap Tourism and BC Parks.
