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.
Photo: Ali Kazal, Pexels. Photo credits
Kootenay Lake ferry
59 min agoFrom Balfour
9:40 pm
then 6:30 am, 8:10 am
From Kootenay Bay
10:20 pm
then 7:10 am, 9:00 am
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
2 h 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
30 min ago7.7°C
- Wind
- 5 km/h NE
- Humidity
- 81%
- Dew point
- 4.7°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
31 min ago9.7°C
- Wind
- 7 km/h NE
- Humidity
- 68%
- Dew point
- 4.1°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
1 h ago531.39 m
Above sea level at Queens Bay. Up 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
29 min agoIncidents and construction
- Highway 3A — Road construction at Highway 3A. Starting Mon Sep 21. From 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM PDT, Monday to Saturday. Last update: October 15th, 2026 at 8:01am PDT. Speed reduced to 30km/h, lanes shifted, one lane on gravel surface.
- Highway 3A — Bridge maintenance at Highway 3A, In Castlegar. Starting Mon Oct 19. From 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM PDT, Monday and Tuesday. Expect delays. Last update: October 19th, 2026 at 8:18am PDT.
- Harrop Ferry — Planned service interruption at Harrop Ferry. Starting 11:45 PM PCT on Wednesday November 18, 2026 until 2:30 AM PCT on Thursday November 19, 2026. Last update: November 6th, 2026 at 4:03pm PCT. The Harrop Ferry will be out of service due to required maintenance.
- Highway 23 — Utility work from Highway 23, In Nakusp to 9km Northwest of Nakusp. Starting Fri Oct 2 until Mon Nov 30. From 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM PDT, Monday to Saturday. Single lane alternating traffic. Watch for traffic control. Last update: September 25th, 2026 at 1:59pm PDT.
- Other Roads — Road construction at Wallinger Avenue, In Kimberley and At Ross Street and Wallinger Avenue. Starting 7:00 AM MDT on Tuesday October 27, 2026 until 4:00 PM CST on Friday November 13, 2026. From 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM MDT, weekdays. Watch for traffic control. Last update: October 27th, 2026 at 12:39pm MDT.
- Highway 3 — Vehicle incident from Highway 3, Kid Creek Forest Service Road to Kid Creek Rest Area. Single lane alternating traffic. Watch for traffic control. Expect delays. Last update: November 7th, 2026 at 6:28pm MST. Next update: November 7th, 2026 at 8:00pm MST.
Every road event around the lake
Road events from DriveBC Open511.
Wildfires
29 min agoOkell Creek
Under Control, 0.009 ha
Tower Creek #2
Under Control, 1,327 ha
10 Mile Creek
Being Held, 6 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.
Things to do
Business directory
Every verified business on the lake by category and community, listed free.
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.
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.
About
What kootenaylake.org is, who runs it, where its live data comes from, how often it updates, and what it does not do.
History
Ktunaxa and Sinixt territory, the sternwheeler era, the S.S. Moyie, mining at Ainsworth and Riondel, the ferry and the 1938 lake-level order — each sourced.
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.