The Thompson Okanagan contains more than 1,000 lakes, most of which -thanks to the area's warm, dry weather- are suitable for all manner of water-based activities.
The most popular swimming areas are Kelowna, Penticton, Osoyoos and Shuswap. Wells Gray Provincial Park, Christina Lake in Gladstone Provincial Park plus the Kelowna area are the canoeing hot spots, while the Thompson, Clearwater and Adams River are well-known rafting waterways. Anglers flock to the region to take advantage of some of the best freshwater fishing conditions anywhere. The weather is reliably sunny, the scenery is spectacular and the lakes in the Kamloops, Wells Gray/High Country, Okanagan and Shuswap areas in particular teem with salmon, kokanee, steelhead, whitefish and trout.