The Nanaimo Lakes are a chain of four lakes situated just to the Southwest of the city of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. First and Second Lake are publicly accessible throughout the year although times are restricted by TimberWest’s gate hours. Third lake is little more then a pond which branches off the Nanaimo river between Second and Fourth Lake. Fourth Lake is a reservoir which, along with Jump Lake, provides drinking water for the city of Nanaimo.
- First Lake
- Second Lake
- Third Lake
- Fourth Lake
Direction: To get get to the Nanaimo Lakes, follow the Island Highway (Hwy 1A) to just north of the Nanaimo River crossing (look for the Wildplay sign) then turn onto Nanaimo River Road and follow it inland for 20 kilometers to a robust orange-red gate. Sometimes the gate’s open and sometimes its manned. Beyond the gate a private road connects four lakes in a beautiful river valley that stretches 27 kilometers to the Island’s mountainous spine.
External Links
- Nanaimo Lakes – Anglers Atlas
- Backroads Map Book VIBC18
- Nanaimo’s Secret
- TimberWest Forest Corp’s Facebook page and access information.
Nanaimo Lakes Map