List of Famous Lakes in Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh Region

Enjoy the vibrant ecosystem of the Kashmir valley and the Lower ‘Shivalik’ Himalayas through the crystal clear water bodies here. These lakes happen to be the main source of life for the residents of this region and also create a certain unique culture for the people living here. The snowy and tranquil lakes are secured by the Himalayas optimizing the state’s overall multi-faceted ecosystem. Here are the important lakes of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The ‘Dal Lake’:

This lake is popularly called the ‘crown of Kashmir’ and is the ‘most visited’ lake of the state. It is bordered with the famous gardens of the Mughal era including the Shalimar Bagh and the Nishat Bagh which enhance the beauty of the lake. The Dal Lake also features water lilies, water chestnuts and lotus floating all over it. You can enjoy a pleasurable boat ride on one of the ‘Shikaras’ or opt for canoeing, kayaking along with other water based activities while in this place. The lake completely freezes in the winter months, giving a whole new dimension to viewing experience.

The ‘Wular Lake’:

The ‘Wular Lake’ measures 24km long and 10km wide, making it rank among the ‘largest fresh water’ lakes in the continent of Asia. 60% of this land’s fish comes from this lake. It is perfectly located between Bandipore and Sopore, offering a magnificent view of steep valleys and majestic hills on either side. This lake has its source in the ‘Jhelum’ river and is located 60km from the state capital, Srinagar. The ‘Nal Sarovar’ bird sanctuary is located next to the lake.

The ‘Nagin Lake’:

The ‘Nagin Lake’ is situated in the east of the Kashmir valley on the Zabarwan mountain foothills. Poplar and willow trees line this lake and the ‘Hari Parbat’ guards the western front while the ‘Shankaracharya’ hills protect the south side of the lake, which makes the view even more charming. ‘Shikara’ rides are common here and you can also opt for hiring a boat to get the perfect romantic experience. There are boats here selling fresh flowers, nuts, fruits, woollen shawls, baked food, leather goods and silk carpets among other products-all on water!

The ‘Tso Moriri Lake’:

This lake offers a glorious view of the district of Ladakh on the northern side, the Zanskar on the western side and Tibet on the eastern front. The lake is visited mostly during summer months. The source of this lake is the ‘Changthang’ Plateau which is covered with snow most parts of the year. It is famous for ranking among the ‘High Altitude’ lakes located in the ‘Trans-Himalayan’ region. Earlier the Tso Moriri Lake was salty in nature but was completely extracted by 1959’s end so that the local people could benefit from it.

The ‘Pangong Lake’ (Pangong Tso):

This lake is isolated from the land of Leh and is a 160 km or 5 hour drive from this region. It extends 134 km in length starting from India and ending in China. The lake is opened between May and September every year for tourists who have to gain ‘special permit’ to be here. This lake is the world’s highest ‘brackish water’ lake with its location 13,900 ft above the sea level. Although, it is a ‘salt-water’ lake, it gets completely frozen during the winter and all these characteristics along with oxygen deficiency in this region, lures geologists from the entire world to this amazing lake.

Satsar Lake

The Satsar Lake is actually a combination of seven tiny lakes in the Kashmir Valley. This lake is present in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Satsar lakes are arranged in the manner of an unique cascade and they are all contained in a small alpine valley. The source of waters is mainly melting snow and in the autumns the lake dries up and there is a thick cover of flowers on the bed. The Satsar lakes are known for the beautiful profusion of gentian, ice blue poppy, potentilla and geum which grows alongside the lake beds.

Trout fishing happens in these lakes and brown trout is found in all the 7 small lakes. You have to obtain permission for visiting the lakes for fishing in advance from Srinagar office. It is possible to drive from Srinagar to Satsar lakes via Ganderbal and Wayil.

Gangabal Lake

The Gangabal Lake in Kashmir is known for its high altitude. The length of Gangbal Lake is 2 km while the breadth is 1/2 km. the Gangabal Lake is the source of the stream called Wanghat which in turn drains the Wanghat Valley. The Lake drains into Nand Sar which is yet another high altitude water body. There is a beautiful meadow near the Gangabal Lake known as the Gangabal meadow. Thousands of mountain cows come to graze here along with the cattle herders who dress up in extremely colorful costumes.

Manasbal Lake

The Manasbal Lake is one of the prettiest lakes in Kashmir and is famous because of its unique geographical positioning. The Manasbal Lake is situated at the lower end of the Sindh Valley and it is enclosed on two sides by a low hillock which is called Aha-Thung. The other side of the lake has a plateau and this gives Mansabal an air of unique beauty. Though Manasbal Lake is quite small (only 2 miles in diameter) it has a lot of depth and most of the times you will see a clear expanse of blue water in lake. A few well watered terraces overlook the lake and these are facilitated by Sind River, Manasbal Lake attracts exotic birds and it is known as the “paradise of birdwatchers” as well as “gem of all lakes”. There is profuse growth of lotus flowers on the lake and the roots of these are harvested and eaten by the locals.

Vishansar Lake and Krishnasar lake

The lakes of Vishansar and Krishnasar are known as twin lakes as both lakes are exactly same in diameter and dimensions and they are barely one km apart. Both lakes have very steep ridges on their sides which remain covered by snowflakes for most part of the year. From the lake of Vishansar the tracks keep on rising and form another pass of Kashmir called the Nichinai Pass. The mountain range as viewed from Vishansar and Krishnasar Lake are very beautiful and trekking routes are also available here.

The Vishansar Lake is near the Satsar Lake described above and tourists usually cover them all in the space of one day.

These are the most visited and prominent lakes in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which you can also visit the next time you are here.