Lying between the Valhalla, Kokanee and Goat Mountain Ranges, this 40 km. long lake averages 150 metres in depth with a maximum depth of 275 metres. With a total of 83 km. of shoreline, it averages just under 2 km. in width. Fed by many mountain streams, it contains fresh clean mountain water directly from snow melt and mountain springs. As it rarely freezes over, it moderates temperatures in the valley both summer and winter. The lake narrows at its southern end and flows out becoming the Slocan River, which flows another 45 to 50 km. south before joining the Kootenay River.
It is followed on its eastern shore by Highway 6, the same route which was once also followed by the Slocan Valley Railway for the length of the valley. The old railway bed from Slocan City, at the south end of the lake, south to Crescent Valley and South Slocan, is now the
Slocan Valley Rail Trail. The western shore is accessible through
Valhalla Park, whose only entrance is at
Slocan City, on the southern end of the lake, and via a forestry road at the north end of the lake. Other towns on the lake are
Silverton and
New Denver, and the nearly extinct communities of Hills and Rosebery.
Though originally settled as the supply and transportation centre for
silver/lead/zinc mines in the nearby mountains, the miners have long since moved on. The valley today relies primarily on forestry, tourism and recreation. Recreation in the valley consists of boating, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, swimming, water skiing, hunting, hiking, biking, mountain climbing, bird and wildlife watching, cross country and downhill skiing and snowshoeing.