Serbia · Vojvodina

Belo jezero

Directions

Бело језеро

Belo jezero is the largest and deepest of the main lakes of the Ečka fish ponds in the Banat, on the alluvial plain between the Tisa and the Begej, about 10 km south of Zrenjanin and across the road from the Carska Bara reserve. It is a shallow, open lake of reeds and mudflats, and birdwatchers value it highly.

History

Wetlands appear here on a map from the early 16th century, and fishing permits were issued in the 1500s. Austria-Hungary regulated the marshes in the 19th century, and today Ečka is the largest fish farm in Serbia, known for its carp.

Nature

More than 190 bird species have been recorded around the lake, above all on migration, including spoonbills, avocets, black-winged stilts, black-tailed godwits and bearded tits, with some 400–500 mute swans as regulars. Grey herons breed at the nearby Traktor Bara pond.

Visit

Swimming

No reliable information

Tips

From the Belgrade–Zrenjanin road, take the road to Belo Blato and after 1.2 km turn right towards Lukino Selo; there is a small parking spot just after the turn, and a pasture between the lake and the road where you can leave the car and walk along the shore. The lake has been drained at times, so check its state before you make the trip for it.

Spring and autumn migration are the best seasons. The ground is flat and has no shade, and there is no hide or circular path, so bring a telescope. Come on a weekday or early at the weekend, as windsurfers arrive at around 10 a.m. Recreational fishing is allowed on waters not used for fish farming.