Upper Arrow Lake

Upper Arrow Lake is a man-made reservoir lake on the Columbia River which connects to the community of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. It is a long and narrow lake surrounded by mountains, trails, marshlands and wetlands. It is an ideal lake setting for bird wildlife and recreational opportunities.

Upper Arrow Lake is part of a network of waterways with a series of dams connecting the Columbia River with Lake Revelstoke in the north and Lower Arrow Lake in the south. In its entirety, Upper Arrow Lake stretches from the community of Nakusp, BC in the south near East Arrow Park to the inner streets and walkways of Revelstoke, BC.

Upper Arrow Lake is a popular destination in the summer months for boating, swimming camping, bird watching and fishing. It is a lake known for gusts of wind and for floating debris. So be aware and prepared when exploring. The lake is well stocked with fish including rainbow, gerrard, kokanee and bull trout plus barbot and whitefish.

On the east side of Upper Arrow Lake the community of Revelstoke, BC has grown along it's banks. Many streets and paved walkways in the community provide water views of the Columbia & Illecillewaet Rivers. Airport Way Road provides the best views and a few boat launches accessing Upper Arrow Lake.

On the west side of Upper Arrow Lake, south of Revelstoke, is a scenic highway (Hwy 23S) leading to a lake ferry. The highway provides very little views of the lake except near the parks and the lake ferry crossing.

There are a few trails and parks that lead to the shores of Upper Arrow Lake from the hwy, but you must get active to get there. Begbie Falls Trail and the Begbie Creek Trail provide good access to the lake and each trail leads you to the viewing platform looking out over Begbie Waterfall.

The Blanket Creek and Arrow Lakes Provincial Campgrounds are two popular campsites visited on Upper Arrow Lake. It is a much easier to access the lake from the campground's boat launches and beaches.

How to Get to Upper Arrow Lake:

Access available to the Columbia River and the northern most point of Upper Arrow Lake from city streets in Revelstoke, BC. Or else, follow Hwy 23 south towards the Lake Ferry. Access lake from Begbie Falls Trail and/or Blanket Creek Provincial Park. Or access from Airport Way Road on the east side of the lake via boat launches and pull outs.