Okanagan and Kal Lakes freeze, brings out skaters

It doesn’t happen every winter and memories can play tricks on people as to the last time it happened.

The shore areas of both Kalamalka Lake and Okanagan Lake in the Vernon arm have both frozen enough to attract people onto the ice.

“Kin Beach is an ice rink, frozen anywhere from 500-700 feet out and at least 3-5 inches thick and as clear as glass in some places!” Kyle Lewis posted to Vernon and Area Community Forum on Facebook.

Okanagan Lake frozen (photo / Kyle Lewis Facebook)

Smaller valley lakes like Duck, Swan and Wood Lakes usually freeze over hard and thick enough for ice fishing.

Outdoor Space Enhancements

RDNO dedicates funding to trail and natural space projects

Jan 24, 2025

FireSmart Funding

Financial aid going to support fire risk reduction work in Vernon

Jan 24, 2025

GoFundMe

Online fundraiser launched to support family who's home burned down

Jan 24, 2025

It’s thought to be the first time since 2017 that ice was thick enough at Kal and Kin beach to be safe enough to walk and skate on.

Skating at Kal Beach in Coldstream Sunday. (Pete McIntyre/Vernon Matters photo)

The Canadian Red Cross cautions people to be careful when venturing onto lake ice.

The agency suggests for ice to be considered safe to go out on, it should be of a particular thickness — at least 15 centimetres thick for a person to walk or skate on it, or 20 cm thick for a group of people, and at least 25 cm thick for snowmobiling.

A search of local historical archives suggest that Okanagan Lake has frozen over fewer than a dozen times since 1900. There are reports of people being able to drive across the lake to other communities.

There is a record of Kal Lake freezing over all the way from Coldstream to Oyama in the winter of 1964/65.

Experts suggest those events are unlikely to happen again due to climate change.