Croatia · Lika-Karlovac

Lake Kruščica

Directions

Kruščičko jezero

Lake Kruščica is an artificial lake on the lower Lika river near the village of Mlakva in Kosinj, shared between the municipalities of Gospić and Perušić. It was created in 1971 by damming the river for the Senj hydroelectric power plant, and later also for the Sklope plant. The lake is named after a village that was flooded and whose people were moved away; when the water is low in summer, the foundations and ruins of its church, houses and road can be seen.

History

When the dam was closed, the village of Kruščica disappeared under the water and its people were moved away. In dry summers, when the level falls, the foundations of the church of St Elijah, the ruins of houses and the old road come back into view. A plan to enlarge the reservoir and build a small power plant at Kosinj was begun but halted by the war of the 1990s.

Nature

The lake lies in quiet, wooded country, and otters, deer, bears and wolves are seen around it. It is known among anglers, not least for big wels catfish, and when the lake was drained in 2010 to inspect the dam the fish simply moved up into the Lika.

Gallery

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Photo: Dragan Zeba · CC BY 3.0

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Visit

Swimming

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Tips

Kruščica can be reached from Kosinj through Mlakva, on a hiking trail from Kaluđerovac, by boat through the canyon of the Lika, or along a renewed forest road through Vaganac. It is popular with anglers, for trout, pike, carp and catfish among others, and fishing needs a licence.

The best time to see the drowned village is late summer, when the water is low. The reservoir is also drained every ten years or so to inspect the dam.