The Great Lakes of Kashmir

Lakes of Kashmir have always enchanted people from the plains. The fairy tales of Indian Cinema were, at one point of time, woven around the ethereal beauty of Dal Lake, with the vast expanses of the valley forming the backdrop of many a romance. What remains largely unknown to the larger audience is the presence of lakes beyond the valley, of the kind you can only imagine in the most beautiful of your dreams.

Kashmir lakes trek, offers you an opportunity to step deep into the mountains and explore vast meadows and pristine lakes which retain a sense of serenity and tranquility which has vanished from our lives today. You go to places where time has stood still, against backdrops which leave you speechless.

Mount Harmukh, with the turquoise blues waters of Nundkol draining out to Wangnath nullah

Each of the lakes on the Kashmir lakes trek offer remarkable views and are religiously and symbolically important to the people of this region.

• Vishansar & Kishansar

       Vishansar and Kishansar, the lakes of Vishnu and Krishna lie across the Nichnai pass on the Kashmir lakes trek. These                lakes hold great importance for Kashmiri Pandits. During summers, the lakes are surrounded by lush green meadows and        local shepherds graze their sheep and goat on the banks. The lakes are situated next to each other in a stair-case setting,          feeding into the Kishanganga or Neelum river. Kishansar is also called Neelum lake.

       Lake Stats:

       Kishansar Lake – Oligotrophic* Lake
       Length - 950 meters
       Breadth – 600 meters
       Altitude – 3710 meters
       Primary outflow – Vishansar Lake
​
       Vishansar Lake - Oligotrophic* Lake
       Length - 1000 meters
       Breadth – 600 meters
       Altitude – 3710 meters
       Primary outflow – Neelum River(which merges into Jhelum in POK)

​*Oligotrophic - It is a lake with very low Organic compounds & nutrient content and thus, consequentially, very less Algae production. These lakes, therefore, have very clear waters with high drinking-water quality. With ample oxygen content, these lakes support a lot of fish species. Oligotrophic lakes are most common in cold regions.

Vishansar Lake

Kishansar Lake

The twin lakes of Kishansar & Vishansar, as visible from Gadsar Pass

• Gadsar

       Gadsar in Kashmiri means the lake of fishes, famous for its brown trouts which are also found in other lakes in the region.        The valley of Gadsar is also called the valley of flowers, being full of wild alpine flowers which grow for long stretches                starting from the Gadsar pass. Gadsar flows into a tributary stream of Neelum river.

       Lake Stats:
​
      Gadsar Lake - Oligotrophic Lake
      Length - 850 meters
      Breadth – 760 meters
      Altitude – 3600 meters
      ​Primary outflow – A tributary to Neelum river

Gadsar Lake

• Satsar

       Satsar literaly means the seven lakes. These small lakes, connected to each other are set in a cascade formation through a        high alpine valley. These lakes, fed by melting snow, are surrounded by vast lush green meadows which offer an ideal              camping space. An interesting occurrence, these lakes give rise to a stream which disappears into the ground after some          time and flows underground to emerge outside after some distance. Multiple trekking routes are available to these lakes,        starting from Shitkadi (Kashmir Lakes trek), Naranag (opposite direction), Bandipora and Gurais. The Kashmir Lakes trek          route allows you to travel through most of the alpine lakes in this area.

       Lake Stats:
​
       Satsar lake - Alpine Lake
       Length - 3200 meters (from 1st to 7th)
       Breadth – 900 meters (width of the valley)
       Altitude – 3610 meters
​       Primary outflow – An underground stream

One of the Satsar Lake

• Gangbal & Nundkol Lakes

       Both these lakes are situated at the foothills of mount Harmukh and are fed by glacier streams coming from the                        mountain. Gangbal, also known as Harmukut Ganga, is considered as pious as Haridwar by Hindus. It is the site for an              annual 3-day long yatra which is performed in the month of September by Kashmiri pandits. Parikrama of the lake is                considered auspicious by Hindus. Gangbal Lake feeds into Nundkol through a small stream. Nundkol is surrounded by              large meadows and offers many beautiful camping sites. Nundkol drains into Wangath nullah which is a tributary to Sind          river.

      Lake Stats:

      Gangbal Lake – Oligotrophic Lake
      Length - 2700 meters
      Breadth – 1000 meters
      Altitude – 3575 meters
      Primary outflow – Nundkol Lake
​
      Nundkol Lake - Oligotrophic Lake
     Length - 1200 meters
​     Breadth – 500 meter
     Altitude – 3505 meters
​     Primary outflow – Wangnath nullah, which flows into Sind river

Gangbal Lake with Mount Harmukh in the background

The stream from Gangbal flowing into Nundkol Lake

Apart from these major lakes, a few more small lakes also lie of the Kashmir Lakes trek.

Nichnai Lake lies just before the Nichnai pass, at a distance from the trekking trail, on the left side.. This small lake is visible from the top of the pass and its turquoise green colors enchant the trekkers as they cross over to the other side of the pass towards the twin lakes of Vishansar & Kishansar.

There is a smaller yet unnamed lake, above the Kishansar lake, which feeds into it, thus forming a triple cascade along with the Vishansar Lake.

Yamsar Lake, which lies after the Gadsar pass, on the left side is a very small lake and is considered poisonous by the local people. We cross it over on the way towards Gadsar lake.

The astounding beauty of all these lakes make the Kashmir Lakes trek, a once in a lifetime opportunity to come face to face with the nature and become one with it, in all its glory.