Conkle Lake Park is a secluded BC Parks site in the Okanagan Highland east of Osoyoos. BC Parks describes a lake setting surrounded by hills forested mainly with western larch and lodgepole pine.
The lake is named for W.H. Conkle, an early settler in the nearby Kettle Valley, and is noted for rainbow trout.
Conkle Lake is a quiet camping, fishing, swimming, and paddling destination for visitors prepared for narrow forest service road access. The three kilometre lake is stocked with rainbow trout fry by the Summerland Trout Hatchery and is framed by steep hillsides. Ice fishing is possible, though access is difficult.
The park has a large beach with cold, clear water, canoeing and kayaking enhanced by a motorboat size restriction, and regular southerly winds that create windsurfing opportunities. A two kilometre trail starts between campsites 32 and 33 and travels part way around the lake to a waterfall outside the park.
BC Parks also notes Okanagan Highlands habitat values, including deer, elk, and moose range, mixed lodgepole pine and immature western larch forest, shoreline alder and willow, and bird species such as common loon and pileated woodpecker.
Plan around frontcountry camping, group camping, rainbow trout fishing, beach swimming, canoeing, kayaking, windsurfing, the waterfall trail, roadway cycling, difficult winter ice fishing, and snowmobiling on forest service roads leading to the park.
Both access routes are narrow, winding forest service roads unsuitable for motorhomes, trailers, or low-clearance vehicles. Use the signed Highway 3 route rather than the unmaintained OK Falls route, watch for steep cliffs, loose rocks, ticks, poison ivy, swimmer's itch, and the steep beach drop-off.
