Nicola Lake offers kayakers days of paddling, but it is a windy lake so checking the wind forecasts is recommended.   Since the lake is too big to paddle the entire shoreline in one day (or even two), we can pick one area for a shoreline exploration of a loop route.   One of the best launch spots is at Monck Provincial Park.   There is a boat launch, a beach, and numerous small sandy coves for launching and landing.

The lake has a crescent shape ad the prevailing winds are from the southwest so kayakers can follow the shoreline south to the point and back, then north along the shoreline for as long as winds allow.

There are a few osprey nests on the shoreline.   We also spotted a great blue heron, kingfishers, ducks, lesser sandpipers, and American dippers.

When the weather provides gentle conditions, Nicola Lake is one of the best lakes of the Interior for kayaking.

The grasslands rise up along the east shore and the rocky cliffs rise into the forest on the west side of the lake, a scenic area to kayak.