Boating Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake is a large, beautiful, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Kelowna and area is renounded for it's warm summers, wineries, golf courses, and of course boating! The lake is 135 km long, between 4 and 5 km wide, and has a surface area of 351 km². The lake's maximum depth is 232 meters near Grant Island (also called "Whiskey Island" or "Seagull Island" by locals). There is one other island known as Rattlesnake Island, much farther south by Squally Point across from Peachland. Just across the lake from West Kelowna is Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. This is the park where a devestating fire in 2003 started. It has many marine parks along it's shores and is a great place to explore.
Okanagan lake is composed of three basins, a larger North basin, a central or mid basin, and a Southern basin. The lake is drained by the Okanagan River, which exits the lake's south end in Penticton, after flowing over a small dam. Notable features of the Okanagan Valley include terraces which were formed due to the periodic lowering of the lake's predecessor, glacial Lake Penticton. These terraces are now used extensively for agriculture such as fruit cultivation.
Cities bordering the lake include Vernon in the north, Penticton in the south, Kelowna and West Kelowna in the centre, as well as the smaller municipalities of Lake Country (north of Kelowna), Peachland (south of West Kelowna), and Summerland (north-west of Penticton). You of course are welcome to explore any part of the lake in between in your Okangan Boat Rental!
Various lake features include Rattlesnake Island (a small island east of Peachland), Squally Point (a popular cliff-diving area) & Fintry Delta on the west side. The five-lane William R. Bennett Bridge, a floating bridge with a high boat passage arch connects Kelowna to the district of West Kelowna and the community of Westbank. This bridge replaced the three-lane floating Okanagan Lake Bridge on May 30, 2008 which had a lift span for passage of large boats.
Spending a day or even a week exploring Okanagan Lake with a great boat at SunWave Boat Rentals is a fun, relaxing and enjoyable activity you will soon not forget. Just remember, book early as with these rates, we don't want you to be disappointed!
