Kalamalka Lake
South end of the blue lake.
For food near Kalamalka Lake, head to Lu Lou's Lakeside Grill & Chill on the Oyama Isthmus, at the lake's south end. The grill is on the Wood Lake side of the strip, sloppy joes, smash burgers, all-beef hot dogs from $5, soft-serve. (Famous Kal Beach is 15 km north in Vernon.)
We sit on the Oyama Isthmus, the narrow strip between Wood Lake and the south end of Kalamalka. The grill is on the Wood Lake side. If you're driving the Kalamalka loop, this is the food stop.
The short answer
For food near Kalamalka Lake, head to Lu Lou's Lakeside Grill & Chill on the Oyama Isthmus. Counter service on the sand at the Wood Lake side of the strip, right where Kalamalka tapers to its south end. Sloppy joes, smash burgers, all-beef hot dogs from $5, soft-serve. Open daily through lake season.
Two lakes, one strip of sand
- Kalamalka. Turquoise marl water, dramatic colour, cool enough to wake you up.
- Wood Lake. Warmer, sandier, calmer, this is the lake we sit on.
- Famous Kal Beach is 15 km north in Vernon. If that's where you were headed, we're on the way home, south end of the same lake, on the Oyama strip.
Why Kalamalka is so blue
Dissolved limestone, marl, on the lake bottom catches and reflects sunlight. The name Kalamalka means "lake of many colours" in nsyilxcən, the Okanagan language. You'll see the colour shift through teal, sapphire, and emerald in the same afternoon.
For a full plan, see the two-lake beach guide →.
Good to know
Frequently asked
Where to eat near Kalamalka Lake?
Lu Lou's Lakeside Grill & Chill sits on the Oyama Isthmus, the narrow strip of land at the south end of Kalamalka Lake. The grill is on the Wood Lake side of the strip, counter service, sloppy joes, smash burgers, all-beef hot dogs, pizza, soft-serve. Open daily through lake season.
Is Lu Lou's at Kal Beach?
No, Kal Beach is the famous public beach in Vernon, at the north end of Kalamalka Lake (about 15 km / 15 minutes north of us). Lu Lou's is at the lake's south end, on the Oyama Isthmus.
Why is Kalamalka so blue?
Dissolved limestone (marl) on the bottom reflects sunlight. Kalamalka means "lake of many colours" in nsyilxcən, the Okanagan language.