The Arrow Lakes, divided into Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake are widenings of the Columbia River. Situated between the Selkirk Mountains to the east and the Monashee Mountains to the west. Beachland is fairly rare, and is interspersed with rocky headlands and steep cliffs. Mountain sides are heavily forested, and rise sharply to elevations around 2600 metres

There are two ferries across the Upper Arrow Lake: the Galena Bay-Shelter Bay ferry at the northern end of Upper Arrow Lake, between Revelstoke and Nakusp; and the Needles-Fauquier ferry further south, between Nakusp and Vernon.