Skaha Lake

Region

Okanagan

Management unit

MU 8-9

Species

Rainbow Trout, Lake Trout (last recorded 1948), Kokanee, Smallmouth Bass, Whitefish (General), Burbot (last recorded 1995), Mountain Whitefish (last recorded 1995), Lake Whitefish (last recorded 1953), Sockeye Salmon, Prickly Sculpin, Floater Mussel (General), Western Ridged Mussel, Black Catfish (formerly Black Bullhead), Slimy Sculpin, Sculpin (General), Carp, Longnose Sucker, Western Floater Mussel, Chub (General) (last recorded 1995), Northern Pikeminnow (last recorded 1995), Sucker (General) (last recorded 1995), Chiselmouth (formerly Chiselmouth Chub) (last recorded 1995), Redside Shiner (last recorded 1953), Largescale Sucker (last recorded 1948), Peamouth Chub (last recorded 1948)The newest of these fish records is from 2019.Species from the province's fish observation records.

Lake size

Large Water (> 500 ha)

Ice fishing

Closed to ice fishing

Coordinates

49.4222, -119.5878

Rainbow trout, kokanee and smallmouth bass at Penticton. A local charter reports rainbows over 16 lb and kokanee to 5 lb at its best, and bass mostly 1 to 2 lb with a few to 5 lb on most trips.

• Rainbow Trout
  Bigger fish: over 16 lb, a charter's best
  Source: Rodney's REEL Outdoors
• Kokanee
  Bigger fish: to 5 lb, a charter's best
  Source: Rodney's REEL Outdoors
• Smallmouth Bass
  Typically 1 to 2 lb
  Bigger fish: a few to 5 lb on most trips
  Source: Rodney's REEL Outdoors

Rainbows peak in May and June and again in November and December; kokanee from June to the end of August. Source: Rodney's REEL Outdoors

The rule that shapes it. Kokanee daily quota = 5 (none over 35 cm from July 10-Oct 31); Bass daily quota = 8, yellow perch daily quota = 20; Speed restrictions or no vessels (as buoyed and signed), various locations. Source: Province of British Columbia

A year is when the Province last recorded the fish here, not a statement that it is caught today.

Best times of year at Skaha Lake

• May - June
• September - October

There are numerous resorts and campsites along Skaha Lake. Check with the Tourism Centres in the area.

Coordinates: 49.4222, -119.5878

Camping and rec sites at Skaha Lake

• Skaha Lake Park Boat Launch (Penticton)
  No vehicle campground at the park; 21-acre urban beach park with nearby marina
  Facilities: Beach, Boat Launch Nearby (Skaha Marina), Playground, Parking
  Access: Paved, 124 South Beach Drive, Penticton (2WD)

  The site on Recreation Sites and Trails BC

56.7 mdeepest26.6 mmean

Skaha Lake runs to 56.7 m (186 ft) at its deepest, by the Province survey.

The Province sounded Skaha Lake and published the depth chart. It runs to 4 sheets.

• Depth chart 1 OF 1 (PDF)
• Depth chart 1 OF 3 (PDF)
• Depth chart 2 OF 3 (PDF)
• Depth chart 3 OF 3 (PDF)

Modelled from air temperature, not an ice report. It says nothing about whether ice will hold you.

In the model Skaha Lake froze in 64 of the 65 winters since 1960. Freeze-up falls most years between 2 December and 4 January, and ice-off between 27 January and 3 March. The median winter freezes on 13 December and opens on 10 February.

the middle half of modelled winters the median ice cover in the median winter

Winter 2024-25 in the model: frozen from 17 January 2025 to 25 February 2025, 39 days.

Skaha Lake is closed to ice fishing.

Whether a lake is open to ice fishing says nothing about whether its ice will hold you. Ice conditions vary year to year and across a single lake. Check locally before going out, every time.

Averaged over a year, the air above Skaha Lake is 1.1 C warmer than it was in the 1960s. That is 66 years of daily readings, not a forecast.

• +1.1 Csince the 1960s
• 5.8 Caverage year now
• 4.7 Caverage year then
• -12 daysbelow freezing, change

Open Skaha Lake in the app

• Trout Lake 13 km away
• Mahoney Lake 15 km away
• Vaseux Lake 15 km away
• Yellow Lake 15 km away
• Allendale Lake 19 km away

All 212 lakes in the Okanagan, with today's conditions on each.

• How the score works
• Depth, and where the trout are
• A year on a trout lake
• Fishing chironomids
• Reading a depth chart
• Trout and char of BC lakes
• Camping at rec site lakes
• Winterkill explained
• When the ice goes off