ABOUT PAUL LAKE
Paul Lake sits northeast of Kamloops on Paul Lake Road, the road I drive home to Pinantan Lake. The lake is about 6.5 km long and up to 45 m deep, with Paul Lake Provincial Park on its north shore and Gibraltar Rock above it. Harper Mountain is just back down the road toward town.
It is a mix of full-time homes and recreational cabins, most on lake-view or lake-access lots and some right on the water. People come for the trout fishing, the paddling and the trails, and stay because Kamloops is about 20 minutes away, close enough for a daily commute.
PAUL LAKE LISTINGS
Listed by eXp Realty (Kamloops)
Listed by Brendan Shaw Real Estate Ltd.
Listed by REMAX Kamloops
Listed by REMAX Kamloops
Listed by RE/MAX Real Estate (Kamloops)
Listed by Century 21 Assurance Realty Ltd
Paul Lake
Neighbourhood Guide
Lake living on my own road home, from a REALTOR who drives past it every day.
Contact JeremiaWhere is Paul Lake?
Take Highway 5 north out of Kamloops for about 5 km, then turn east on paved Paul Lake Road. The provincial park campground is about 19 km in. Plan on about 20 minutes from Kamloops. Pinantan Lake is further up the same road.
Who lives at Paul Lake?
Full-time owners who commute to Kamloops, retirees, and weekend and summer cabin owners. It suits people who want lake life without a long drive. There are no stores at the lake; groceries and gas are in Kamloops.
What is the lifestyle like?
Fishing first: the lake is stocked with Blackwater and Pennask strains of rainbow trout and is easy to fish from a car-top boat. Paul Lake Provincial Park has a beach, 90 campsites and more than 7 km of trails up to Gibraltar Rock. Harper Mountain is minutes away for skiing and tubing in winter and bike trails in summer.
What are the properties like?
Lakefront homes and cabins, lake-view and lake-access properties along Paul Lake Road, a small number of townhomes, and some rural lots off the lake. Waterfront carries a premium. Many older cabins have been upgraded for full-time use over the years, so the systems behind the walls vary a lot from one property to the next.
Schools and services
There are no schools or stores at the lake. Students are bussed into Kamloops schools, so confirm the catchment for a specific address with School District 73. Groceries, gas and the hospital are in Kamloops, about 20 minutes away. Properties are on private wells or lake intakes and septic, and internet is usually Starlink or a fixed wireless provider.
Discover Paul Lake
Things to Do & See
Paul Lake Provincial Park: beach, camping and Gibraltar Rock
View Activities Photo: Koppertone, CC BY-SA 4.0
Paul Lake Provincial Park overview and trails
View Activities
Harper Mountain ski hill and tube park
View Activities
Harper Mountain bike trails (KMBTA)
View Activities
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT THINK TO ASK
On a lake property, check four things before you fall for the view: where the water comes from and whether a lake intake has a water licence, the age of the septic and how far the field sits from the lake, what the riparian setbacks allow you to build near the water, and how the road behaves in winter. Paul Lake Road is also the road to Harper Mountain, so expect ski-day traffic.
After 18 years in construction I know what is worth a closer look. (Jeremia is not a licensed home inspector. A qualified professional inspection is always recommended before any purchase.)
Huxley
Specializing in rural and acreage properties around Kamloops, including Paul Lake, with a background in construction that gives every transaction a deeper layer of due diligence.
Jeremia Huxley is a REALTOR with Stonehaus Realty Corp., based in Pinantan Lake, BC, who specializes in rural and acreage properties around Kamloops, including Paul Lake. He has 9 years of real estate experience and 18 years prior experience in construction. He is not a licensed home inspector. Contact: 250-571-0379.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers about buying at Paul Lake.
About 20 minutes from Kamloops on paved Paul Lake Road off Highway 5.
Yes. Paul Lake Provincial Park has a beach, 90 campsites, a day-use area and more than 7 km of trails, including the hike up Gibraltar Rock.
Yes. The lake is stocked with Blackwater and Pennask strains of rainbow trout. A valid BC angling licence is required.
No. Students are bussed into Kamloops schools. Confirm the catchment for a specific address with School District 73.
The water source and any water licence, the septic system and its distance from the lake, riparian setbacks for building near the water, and winter road access.
REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
Buying or selling rural property raises questions that city listings never do: wells, septic, who plows the road, what the ALR allows.
The blog takes them one at a time, in plain language, from someone who has lived on rural property since 2008.