Nature reserve Recreation center Showplace

Lake Imandra

Lake Imandra is located in the Murmansk region in the southwest of the Kola Peninsula, or more precisely in the west of the Khibiny Mountains, that is, as it surrounds the western part of the Khibiny Massif and is the largest lake not only of this region, but also of the European Subarctic. By the size of its water area, it can compete only with Lake Inari in Finland. The net area of ​​the water mirror is 815.5 square kilometers, and taking into account the islands, its area is increased to 876 square kilometers. For the mainland northern lake it is quite large.

Lake Imandra is located in the Murmansk region in the southwest of the Kola Peninsula, or more precisely in the west of the Khibiny Mountains, that is, as it surrounds the western part of the Khibiny Massif and is the largest lake not only of this region, but also of the European Subarctic. By the size of its water area, it can compete only with Lake Inari in Finland. The net area of ​​the water mirror is 815.5 square kilometers, and taking into account the islands, its area is increased to 876 square kilometers. For the mainland northern lake it is quite large.

The length of the lake is 109 kilometers, and the width varies from several hundred meters to several kilometers. This is due to the fact that it is located in the tectonic fault of the earth’s crust, which runs along the meridian. Therefore, its basin has a complex shape and surrounding relief. The average depth of the lake is 16 meters. The deepest point of the lake is fixed at 67 meters. On the territory of the lake there are 144 islands, among which the largest is the island of Yerm. Its area is 26 square kilometers.

Lake Imandra is divided into three water bodies: the Big Imandra, the Ecostrovskaya Imandra and the Babinskaya Imandra. They are connected among themselves by two straits: Ecostrovsky and Zayachya Salma.

Big Imandra is the northern part of the reservoir. Its area is 328 square kilometers. It occupies the second place in terms of area, but the first in length – the length from north to south is 55 kilometers, and the volume – 4.6 cubic kilometers or 42.2 percent of the entire territory of the reservoir. The width of the lake varies from 3 to 8 kilometers. The widest part on the Vita Bay reaches 16.5 kilometers.

In the east, the Big Imandra borders on the Hbin mountains. This coast has a weak dismemberment. The western shore is very incised by a large number of lips. The largest are Kurenga, Vite, Monche, White and Sour. They approach the border with Norway and Finland and run into the ranges of Monchettundra, Chunatundra and Wolf. Within the lake there are 80 islands, which constitute the greater part of the total number of them on the entire area of ​​the water area. The total area of ​​these islands is 16 square kilometers.

The largest islands are given separate names. Between the islands of Vysoky and Syav there is the deepest crater of the entire reservoir – 67 meters. The depth between the coastline and the middle of the lake changes dramatically. This is indicated by the color of the water space, which essentially darkens towards the middle of the reservoir. Here the indicators can reach several tens of meters, and in the windy weather, large waves rise, like the sea space.

Ecostrovskaya Imandra is the central part of the lake’s water area and the largest of all. Its area is 361.9 square kilometers. In terms of its parameters and the number of islands, this reservoir ranks second. In shape, the lake resembles an oval, elongated in the direction of the west-east. The widest part – 18.7 km is in the area of ​​the mouth of Okhtokand. This lip and three more – Princely, Tik-lip and Zashechnaya, are considered the largest in this part of the body of water, but there are other small bays. The coastline has a very large ruggedness. There are 42 islands in the lake area.

In the west of Ecostrovskaya Imandra there is the Zayachya Salma Strait, which connects the central part with the southern Babin Imandra. The width of this strait does not exceed 1 kilometer. For today it is the only connection of two parts of the lake. Previously, there was the Narrow Salma, which passed between Rovat Island and the protruding shore of the mainland. The construction of the Murmansk-Leningrad highway required the closure of this strait and the construction of a dam, resulting in the formation of a peninsula from the island of Rovat.

Babinskaya Imandra – the southern part of the lake. It is the smallest, and the area of ​​the water mirror is 133 square kilometers. This lacustrine pond is close in shape to the circle and has a large rugged shoreline, where there are numerous lips. The largest are: Dairy, Cheverez, Kamka, Upoloksha and Kun-kr. Within the borders of the Baba Imandra there are 22 islands. This is the least amount among all parts of the water space, but it is here that the largest island of Erm is located, reaching 10 km in length. In addition, it is the highest island – on its territory there is an elevation of 397 meters.

Ichthyofauna of Imandra is rich in fish and fishing on the lake lasts all year round, both in summer and in winter. Just in the summer on the watery surface, and in the winter on the ice arena of the lake, near the city of Monchegorsk, there passes an annual hundred-kilometer sailing regatta. To the west of the lake is the Lapland Reserve.