Nimpkish Lake is located in the Nimpkish Valley. It is more than 20 km long but quite narrow. The wind can come up fast on this body of water to produce some extremely large waves that will put you to shore to wait it out so be careful. On the other hand, the shores of the lake are an ideal place to sit and contemplate.
The water in Nimpkish Lake is deep and cold, the winds can be very strong and the waves can become quite massive. This is a lake for those who have at least some experience wind-surfing. You need to come equipped for the conditions that prevail on this north island lake. Take a look at the photos in this story and you will see the one kite-boarder who I am sure has a pretty wild tale to tell.
To get to a great place on this lake, travel up the highway until you pass Woss, then turn left at the Nimpkish turnoff, ( look for an old brown building that used to be a gas station and turn there) follow the road keeping right until you come to a double set of rail tracks. You will notice an old road that turns right in between the tracks, follow this road to the end. This is the trailhead for the Nimpkish Lake Windsurfing Trail. This trail will take you down to the outflow of Kinman Creek. It’s a bit of a walk-in but I recommend this spot for those looking for a peaceful walk in a great forest.
There is another trail that heads south from the beach that will take you to the lower end of the lake and one of the campgrounds. Numerous spots along this trail would be great for a picnic. To reach the campground by auto, stay left on the way in and follow this road to the lake.
The shoreline is pretty awesome along the lake with fantastic rock cliff formations, across from Kinman Creek, you will find shore level caves that are pretty cool and most of the creeks, streams, and rivers that flow in have incredible canyons and falls if you just hike up a bit from the shore.
There are dolly varden and cutthroat trout in this lake that can reach impressive sizes, best to troll from a boat or canoe but you can catch the odd biggie from the shore during the evening bite, just before dark. I have camped and fished on this lake since I was young, long before the inland island highway made it easy to get here. There is so much to see and do here, it’s one of my favourite areas on the island. There are several boat launches and recreational sites on the lake as well as a great provincial park on the lake. There are no roads to the park so you need to boat in.
The wildlife in the area is awesome and you have a good chance of seeing wolves, bears, cougars, elk, deer, pine martins, raccoons, and a great variety of birds. There are lots of incredible beautiful wildflowers here on the shores of this lake as well. It is quite a wonderland. You can picnic or hike while enjoying the incredible views from the shore, not bad for a lake that is just off the highway.
Please remember that you are in Namgis Territory, so respect the land, and treat it with kindness.