Kawkawa Lake is a short drive east of Hope's town centre, tucked into a valley with forested slopes on most sides. It is small enough that you can see across to the far shore, and the surrounding park has a grassy day-use area with picnic tables and a boat launch. The lake is warm enough for swimming by midsummer — warm being relative to a mountain lake — and is stocked for trout fishing. Canoes and kayaks do well here; there is no shortage of calm water.
The provincial park campground alongside the lake is a reasonable base for exploring the Hope area. Sites book up on summer weekends, but mid-week in July or early August you can usually find space. The Coquihalla River trail connects to the lake area, so you can combine a swim with a walk. It is the kind of place that locals use heavily and tourists sometimes miss because they are already committed to the Othello Tunnels, which is their loss.