The Lake
Nothing equals the feeling of living on a lake. Wake to the scent of cedars and fresh water. Glide through your day and drift into evening with the rhythm of
the water. Dangle your feet from your dock in the sunshine. Skip beach stones. Chase the boat
wake on water skis. These are defining moments
of Cowichan Lake life.
Known as The Big Lake by local Native people,
Cowichan Lake is more than 42 km long and one
of Vancouver Island’s largest bodies of fresh water. The lake was formed by an ancient glacier and resides along the Insular Mountains. Around the lake, you’ll be rewarded with sightings of bald eagles, stellar jays, blacktail deer and elk. The
lake flows into Cowichan River then meanders through some of Vancouver Island ’s premier fly-fishing territory before feeding into the estuary
of Cowichan Bay.
Speaking of fishing, the lake so impressed King Edward VIII, it became known as Canada’s Fly Fishing Capital. Today, it continues to attract
anglers of Rainbow and Brown Trout and Kokanee. Drop your line from a wharf, or go to the Cowichan River for world-class salmon, trout and steelhead
fly fishing and angling. Cook your catch over a campfire for the best taste of BC.
Swimmers, water skiers and windsurfers love Cowichan Lake’s clean waters and warmth. The lake’s south arm has the highest average summer maximum water temperatures in Canada — more than
24 degrees Celsius. Windsurfers in particular
enjoy the thrill of the choppy, fast waves that rise
up in the middle when winds sweep down the mountains. With over 150 miles of pristine shoreline, Cowichan Lake is a recreational paradise for kayakers and canoeists.