Nimpo Lake is a freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in the Chilcotin District

Chilcotin District

The Chilcotin District of British Columbia is usually known simply as "the Chilcotin", and also in speech commonly as "the Chilcotin Country" or simply Chilcotin. It is a plateau and mountain region in British Columbia on the inland lea of the Coast Mountains on the west side of the Fraser River....

 of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It is located 185 miles west of Williams Lake on the Chilcotin Highway (Hwy 20) and is approx. 100 miles east of Bella Coola

Bella Coola, British Columbia

Bella Coola is a community of approximately 600 at the western extremity of the Bella Coola Valley. Bella Coola usually refers to the entire valley, encompassing the settlements of Bella Coola proper , Lower Bella Coola, Hagensborg, Saloompt, Nusatsum, Firvale and Stuie...

. The lake is 7 miles long with several protected bays and has an area of 9.88 km².

Floatplanes

Nimpo Lake is often referred to as "The Floatplane Capital of British Columbia" and, because it has so many floatplane

Floatplane

A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...

s landing and taking off, each of the bays or 'arms' have a distinctive name. North Arm is at the extreme northernmost end of the Main Arm of Nimpo Lake while the South Arm is at the other end and the Short Arm is on the eastern side of the lake where a floatplane base is located.

Fishing

Nimpo Lake has a good population of wild Rainbow Trout that are known for their excellent fighting ability and are caught by trolling and on a flyline. Its popularity with anglers

Angling

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...

 fishing for rainbow trout

Rainbow trout

The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....

, made it the venue of the 1993 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships. It is a popular tourist destination, with several resorts located on the lake offering a variation of accommodation ranging from luxurious suites to rustic cabins and sites for Recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...

s.

Leisure activities

Nimpo Lake is the jumping off point to the wilderness, much of it inaccessible to man except by floatplane. You can go flightseeing over Hunlen Falls

Hunlen Falls

Hunlen Falls is a waterfall in the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is located in Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, west of the communities of Tatla Lake, Kleena Kleene and Nimpo Lake, and east of Bella Coola. It is the highest waterfall in Canada when measured...

, the third longest freefalling waterfall in Canada, or fly over the multicolored Rainbow Mountains

Rainbow Mountains

Rainbow Mountains can refer to one of:*Rainbow Range , a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada*Rainbow Range , a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada*Spectrum Range, a mountain range in British Columbia, Canada...

 or Monarch Mountain

Monarch Mountain

Monarch Mountain is one of the principal summits of the Pacific Ranges subdivision of the Coast Mountains in southern British Columbia. It stands just east of a pass between the Klinaklini River and the south branch of the Atnarko River, which is a tributary of the Bella Coola River...

 and see the pristine icefields. There is canoeing on the Turner Lake Chain in nearby Tweedsmuir Park, and a number of activities available to visitors of the area. These include fishing, hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, kayaking, wildlife photography and study of rare and unusual alpine plants at higher elevations. In winter snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating are popular activities.