Kootenay Lake, right now
The next ferry from each side, the terminal cameras, the weather at both ends of the lake, the lake level and what the roads are doing. Every panel shows how old its own reading is.
Updated Pacific Time.
Kootenay Lake ferry
54 min agoFrom Balfour
6:10 pm
then 7:50 pm, 9:40 pm
From Kootenay Bay
5:20 pm
then 7:00 pm, 8:40 pm
M.V. Osprey 2000, 80 vehicles, 35-minute crossing. Free.
Full schedule, cameras and the new vessel
Camera images and ferry status from DriveBC.ca, BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
Highway and ferry cameras
5 min agoKootenay Pass
Highway 3 at Salmo Creston Highway Summit, looking east.
DriveBC.ca
Balfour Ferry Terminal
Balfour ferry terminal, looking north towards Highway 3A.
DriveBC.ca
Kootenay Bay Ferry Landing
Highway 3A at Kootenay Bay Ferry Landing, looking northeast.
DriveBC.ca
Balfour Ferry Ramp
Balfour ferry terminal, looking south at ferry loading ramp.
DriveBC.ca
Camera images and ferry status from DriveBC.ca, BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit.
Nelson right now
6 min ago24.9°C
- Wind
- 5 km/h NE
- Humidity
- 51%
- Dew point
- 14°C
- Snow depth
- 0 cm
Measured at NELSON CS, 536 m.
Weather data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, used under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Creston right now
6 min ago24.9°C
- Wind
- 14 km/h S
- Humidity
- 39%
- Dew point
- 10°C
- Snow depth
- 0 cm
Measured at CRESTON CAMPBELL SCIENTIFIC, 642 m.
Weather data from Environment and Climate Change Canada, used under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Lake level
40 min ago531.34 m
Above sea level at Queens Bay. Down 1 cm in 24 hours.
Lake level from the Water Survey of Canada, station 08NH064 Kootenay Lake at Queens Bay, under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Roads
5 min agoIncidents and construction
- Highway 3A — Tree pruning from Highway 3A, Balfour Wharf Road to At Keiran Road. Starting Mon Oct 26 until Fri Oct 30. From 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM PDT, weekdays. Single lane alternating traffic. Last update: September 11th, 2026 at 9:59am PDT.
- Highway 3 — Paving operations. Starting Mon Aug 10 until Tue Sep 29. From 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST, Monday to Saturday. Single lane alternating traffic. Watch for traffic control. Expect delays.
- Other Roads — Paving operations. Starting Mon Aug 17 until Sat Oct 24. From 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM MST, Monday to Saturday. Single lane alternating traffic. Paving work on Wynndel side roads: Lower Wynndel Road, Crusher Road, Uri Road, Duck Creek S Road, Bossio Road, Wynndel Road, Hood Road, Westview Road, Cory Road.
- Highway 6 — Road construction at Highway 6. Starting Mon Sep 14. Expect 15 minutes delay. Last update: September 10th, 2026 at 2:17pm PDT. Culvert Replacement along Hwy 6, Slocan Park.
- Highway 3A — Road construction at Highway 3A. Starting Mon Sep 21. From 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM PDT, weekdays. Expect delay of 20 minutes. Last update: September 18th, 2026 at 5:23pm PDT.
- Highway 3A — Utility work from Highway 3A, In Nelson to In Nelson. Starting Tue Sep 22 until Thu Sep 24. From 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM PDT the next day, Tuesday and Wednesday. Last update: September 17th, 2026 at 8:47am PDT.
Every road event around the lake
Road events from DriveBC Open511.
Wildfires
5 min agoJumbo Creek
Under Control, 1,136 ha
Cooper Creek
Under Control, 0.1 ha
Hungry Creek
Under Control, 0.6 ha
Kokanee Creek
Under Control, 13.7 ha
Tower Creek #2
Under Control, 1,327 ha
Ezra Creek
Under Control, 143 ha
Poplar Creek
Under Control, 664 ha
Priest River
Out of Control, 0.01 ha
Monk Creek
Under Control, 26.2 ha
Calamity Creek
Under Control, 180.89 ha
Dodge Creek
Under Control, 15 ha
Rossieter Creek
Being Held, 0.009 ha
Wildfire incidents from the BC Wildfire Service open data.
The lake, on a map
Every community around the shore and the ferry crossing between them.
Explore the lake
Live
Conditions today
Ferry, roads, cameras, weather, lake level and wildfires, each with its own age.
Kootenay Lake ferry
Next sailings from Balfour and Kootenay Bay, the full schedule, and the terminal cameras.
Ferry cameras
Balfour and Kootenay Bay live, with how old each picture really is.
Webcams
Every Kootenay Lake webcam in one place: DriveBC's ferry, highway and pass cameras, plus link-outs to independent lake-view cameras.
Road conditions
Live closures, DriveBC advisories and all eight road-weather stations for every highway around the lake.
Kootenay Pass
Live closures, summit webcams, the road-weather station and today's avalanche rating for the Highway 3 summit.
Water level
Today's lake level at the Queens Bay gauge, a day of readings on a chart, and the seasonal range.
Nelson weather
Nelson's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Creston weather
Creston's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Kaslo weather
Kaslo's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Crawford Bay weather
Crawford Bay's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Balfour weather
Balfour's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Riondel weather
Riondel's 7-day Environment Canada forecast, current conditions and lake wind.
Wildfire smoke
Active wildfires and BC Parks campfire bans around Kootenay Lake read live, why no AQHI station covers the lake, and the province's own smoke guidance.
Places
Map
An interactive map of the lake: every town, the ferry crossing, cameras, road events, boat launches, parks, wildfires and the lake level gauge.
Kokanee Creek Park
Kokanee Creek Provincial Park: campsites and reservations, the beach, the kokanee salmon run, and BC Parks' campfire ban status read live.
Kootenay Lake Park
Kootenay Lake Provincial Park's three sites — Davis Creek, Lost Ledge and Midge Creek — with site counts, fees and campfire ban status read live.
Hot springs
Ainsworth Hot Springs today: pool hours, day pass prices, the cave's temperature, and the drive in from Nelson, Kaslo and the ferry.
Communities
Communities
All 25 communities around Kootenay Lake, grouped by shore — West Arm, North Shore, East Shore and south — each with a blurb and its own page.
Kaslo
Kaslo on the North Shore: today's weather, the S.S. Moyie, Kootenay Lake Park's beach, and camping and lodging around the village.
Crawford Bay
Crawford Bay on the East Shore: today's weather, the next ferry sailings, Lockhart Beach and Pilot Bay parks, and camping nearby.
Getting here
Getting here
Kootenay Pass or the free ferry, the route in from Calgary, Spokane and Kelowna, and today's closures on Highway 3, 3A and 31.
From Calgary
The route to Kootenay Lake from Calgary on Highway 3, the pass-or-ferry choice, and today's closures on the way in.
From Spokane
The route to Kootenay Lake from Spokane on Highway 6 through the Nelway border crossing, the pass-or-ferry choice, and today's closures.
From Kelowna
The route to Kootenay Lake from Kelowna on Highway 33 and Highway 3, the pass-or-ferry choice, and today's closures on the way in.
Selkirk Loop
The International Selkirk Loop's British Columbia segment along Kootenay Lake's East and North Shores, the loop's own map, and its border crossings.
Things to do
Camping
Every campground this site tracks: live site counts and campfire-ban status for BC Parks properties, plus private RV parks and campgrounds by shore.
Fishing
Kootenay Lake fishing for the current Region 4 season: species, quotas by area, the Gerrard rainbow strain and where to buy a licence.
Boat rentals
Boat rental operators around the lake, whether you need a boat licence to rent in BC, and where this site marks a boat launch.
Facts
Kootenay Lake's depth, length and width from Wikipedia and ILEC side by side, today's level, and why it never freezes.
Water temperature
There is no public water-temperature gauge on the lake: today's air temperature at Nelson and Creston, and the ILEC monthly surface record.
Beaches
Every one of the 12 beaches and swimming spots this site tracks around Kootenay Lake, grouped by shore, with each one's owner, access, facilities and dog rule.
Hikes
Named hiking trails around Kootenay Lake with the distance, elevation gain and manager each one's official source states, plus BC Parks' live advisory status.
Kokanee spawning
When Kokanee Creek and Meadow Creek run red with spawning kokanee each late summer, and what BC Parks and the province state about viewing both channels.
Boat launches
Every public boat launch and marina this site tracks around Kootenay Lake, grouped by shore, with each one's type, fee and owner, plus today's lake level.
kootenaylake.org is an independent guide published by Delcaro Media in Kitchener, BC. It is not affiliated with Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, the Kootenay Lake Chamber of Commerce, the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, Western Pacific Marine, BC Parks or any business listed on it.