Park overview
The rainbow trout from the 1,450 metre high lake provide eggs for much of the provincial stocking program in the south-central interior. The last portion of the access road is rough and not suited for most recreational vehicles. Four-wheel drive vehicles are strongly recommended.
Park Size: 244 hectares
Advisories
Safety info
- There is no drinking water available; the hand pump is out of commission.
- There are no cabins for public use in this park. The Pennask Lake Fishing and Game Club owns and operates a lodge on the lake. Though it is outside the park, the lodge is one of the main attractions in the area. With the exception of the small area of the park, all of the land around the lake is owned by the club.
Camping
Facilities
Activities
The rainbow trout from the 1,450 metre high lake provide eggs for much of the provincial stocking program in the south-central interior. The fishing is excellent. Anyone fishing or angling in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence.
Pets/domestic animals must be on a leash at all times and are not allowed in beach areas or park buildings. You are responsible for their behaviour and must dispose of their excrement.
Backcountry areas are not suitable for dogs or other pets due to wildlife issues and the potential for problems with bears.
Bicycles must keep to roadways. Bicycle helmets are mandatory in British Columbia.
Please note that bicycles with electric assist motors (e-bikes) are not allowed on the trails within Pennask Lake Provincial Park. E-bikes are restricted to park roads and areas where motorized use is permitted. The only exception to this policy will be for authorized and identified trail maintenance bikes conducting work on behalf of BC Parks.
Maps and location
Pennask Lake is approximately 50 km northwest of Peachland. The user-maintained campsite is accessed from the Coquihalla Connector (highway 97C). The 19 km of forest service roads are not built or maintained to the same standards as paved public roadways, and certainly not suited for most recreational vehicles.
Resource road users: travel at your own risk and drive with caution at all times.
The last 7 km are very rough. Travel will require a 4WD vehicle and high clearance, and will take most vehicles about 35-45 minutes. Early in the season or after heavy rains this last km of road will have very large and deep puddles, as much as 40 feet long and 2–3 feet deep.
Directions to Pennask Lake
From Peachland, take Okanagan Connector (Hwy 97 C) west for approximately 42 km, exit at the Sunset Main FSR.
| To Pennask Lake: | |
|---|---|
| 0 km: | Turn left a the bottom of the exit ramp off Hwy 97C, cross under the highway towards Bear FSR. Cross cattle guard and turn left on to the start of the FSR. |
| 6.3 km: | Stay on the main road heading left through highway underpass. (Sunset Lake FSR veers to the right, do not take this). |
| 9 km: | Head right. |
| 10 km: | Continue straight. |
| 11 km: | Head right (stay on main road). |
| 12 km: | Continue straight on the main road |
| 12.5 km: | Turn left. This FSR is rough for the remainder of the 6.5km to the user-maintained campsite. |
| 13.8 km: | Stay right on the more travelled road (this is a newer logging road since 2016). |
| 17 km: | Turn right off main road, the final 1 km is a very rough stretch. |
| 19 km: | Campground. |
Note: Early in the season or after heavy rains the road will have very large and deep puddles, as much as 40 feet long and 2–3 feet deep.
Learn more about this park
Park details
- Date established: January 23, 1975
- Size: 244 hectares
Nature and culture
- History: Established January 23, 1975.
- Conservation: The Pennask Lake fishery is the dominant resource value. Producing 3–5 million native rainbow trout eggs annually and roughly 40% of the provincial hatchery needs, the fishery is considered vital for the provincial fish culture program. The Pennask Lake fishery is particularly valuable since its large spawning runs peak around two or three weeks later than other runs, allowing flexibility in the hatching process to maximize hatchery outputs. Along with the egg collection program, the fishery is considered to be of provincial significance for its outstanding sport fishing.
There is an extensive low lying upland at the south end of the park which tends to be wet and covered by heavy spruce forest with dense shrub growth of Labrador tea, twinberry and white rhododendron. Sloping upland and elevated benches on the east side of the park have relatively open spruce and pine forests with soopalallie and grouseberry shrub cover. Eskers, particularly to the north of the park, are evidence of the most recent period of glacial retreat.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.