Trout Lake in Winter

Trout Lake is a small lake at Vancouver’s John Hendry Park that’s also home to the Trout Lake Community Centre and a large farmers’ market in the summer.

This article contains information about the lake, the community centre and events that take place in the area. Click John Hendry Park or Trout Lake Farmers Market for more information about the park and its Saturday summer market. See below for information about an event at Trout Lake.

MOTHER’S DAY AT TROUT LAKE

On the Mother’s Day Weekend of May 9th to 11th there is a Mother’s Day Powwow at the community centre and in the park. The event features dancing, drumming and food vendors. All are welcome and admission is free.

Vancouver’s Trout Lake

Trout Lake is a small urban lake located in John Hendry Park between East 14th and East 19th Avenue. Victoria Drive runs along the western side of the park and South Grandview Highway passes its northeast corner.

At the south end of the lake there are public washrooms, a concession stand and small sandy beach. Barbecues are permitted in the area and in the summer there is a swimming raft in the water. Lifeguards are on duty between late May and the beginning of September.

At 3360 Victoria Drive, the Trout Lake Community Centre is less than a five-minute walk from the beach, and between the community centre and the lake there’s an amazing children’s play area.

At the north end of the lake is another beach, although that one is also in an off-leash area for dogs (so not recommended for swimming unless your dog loves to). All around the lake is a walking path, and at the park there are basketball courts, a soccer field, baseball diamond and tennis courts.

Parking at Trout Lake is free and boats aren’t allowed in the water (except with special permission).

The Beach at Trout Lake — Beach at South End of Trout Lake

Trout Lake Community Centre

The Trout Lake Community Centre’s address is 3360 Victoria Drive. The facilities are in the southwest corner of John Hendry Park. It’s a pretty typical community centre with a fitness centre and programs for all ages.

At the Trout Lake Community Centre there is a preschool, sports activities in the gym and programming for seniors. There are also fitness, art, dance and other classes for children, teens and adults. There are plenty of recreation programs available to the public, some geared for kids and some geared for adults.

The community centre got a new ice rink in 2010. It was used by athletes during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver as a place to practice. Now, it’s open to the public and has a good amount of programming. There is public skating, drop-in hockey and skating lessons on offer.

Trout Lake Events

A number of events take place at Trout Lake, both in the park and at the community centre. For example, Bike the Blossoms takes place in the park during April most years. There’s also the Mother’s Day Powwow at the community centre in May and a free outdoor movie night on July 12th (the exact movie being shown isn’t listed online).

Summer Outdoor Concerts

Last year outdoor concerts happened every Wednesday night from July 10th to August 21st. All the performances begin at 6:30 pm, unless stated otherwise. There is usually popcorn for sale (as a fundraiser) and sometimes food trucks are there too. Below was the schedule for the summer outdoor concerts last year.

July 10th, 2024 – South Van Big Band
July 17th, 2024 – JunkOy!
July 24th, 2024 – Sue Malcolm & The Swingin’ Doors
July 31st, 2024 – Mariachi Tabasko
August 7th, 2024 – Stepout Sister
August 14th, 2024 – Coveralls
August 21st, 2024 – Checo Tohomaso and VOC Sweet Soul Gospel Choir (at 6:00 pm)
August 21st, 2024 – The Carnival Band (at 8:00 pm)

After the final performance there was a lantern procession around the lake. There were also two children’s concerts that took place on July 15th and August 26th, hosted by Music with Marnie. The live music events in 2025 will likely be similar, but with exact details to be confirmed.

Trout Lake in Autumn Video

Watch the following short video for an idea of what Trout Lake and John Hendry Park look like in the fall.

This video shows scenes of the park in mid-October of 2020. As you’ll see the autumn colours this time of the year are impressive. In the video you’ll see ducks swimming, dogs playing at the beach and lots of people going for walks and enjoying the scenery.

See our article about Vancouver’s Best Places in Autumn for ideas on other beautiful places to explore this time of year.