Bow Lake, Glacial lake in Banff National Park, Canada.

Bow Lake is a glacial lake in Banff National Park, surrounded by the Waputik Range mountains that rise steeply from its shores. The water mirrors the surrounding ridges and valleys, creating views that change with the season and time of day.

The lake became known during the early tourism development of Banff National Park, particularly through the construction of a lodge on its shores in the early 1900s. This era marked the beginning of organized access to the Canadian Rockies for visitors from across North America.

The name comes from the Bow River, whose headwaters lie just above the lake; the river was a route through the Rockies long before the Icefields Parkway was built. On the shore stands the log-built Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, now the Lodge at Bow Lake, at the foot of Mount Jimmy Simpson.

Bow Lake lies directly beside the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, about 37 km north of Lake Louise, with roadside pull-offs on its eastern shore. The Lodge at Bow Lake, at the foot of Mount Jimmy Simpson, stands on the shore. Parks Canada requires permits for watercraft and bans certain boats to keep out parasitic spores.

The water receives meltwater directly from Bow Glacier, which deposits sediment and creates a visible delta where the stream enters at the western end. This constantly shifting shoreline shows how the glacier continues to reshape the lake, making it a living example of mountain geology in action.