Photo: Silverije · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Prokljan (Prokljansko or Prukljansko jezero) is a lake in the lower course of the Krka river in Dalmatia, near Skradin and Šibenik. Seawater reaches it through a narrow channel from Šibenik harbour, so the surface water is brackish and the water near the bottom is salty. The northern part is very shallow and the southern part much deeper. The small islet of Stipanac in the lake has ruins from antiquity to the Middle Ages.
Prokljan is a ria, a drowned river valley. It took its present form after the last Ice Age, when the rising sea flooded the lower course of the Krka. The river enters it near Skradin, the Guduća stream flows in from the side, and the Channel of St Joseph carries its water on to the Bay of Šibenik. The northern part is shallow and the southern part much deeper.
People have lived around the lake since the Middle Palaeolithic, and Roman farm villas, an aqueduct and an early Christian basilica have been found on its shores. A Roman embankment once joined the islet of Stipanac to the mainland; it is now under water but still clearly visible. On the islet stand the ruins of the Romanesque church of St Stephen, and a local legend tells of a cruel lord, Gavan, whose pride sank him and his castle into the lake.
The landscape of the lower Krka, from the Skradin bridge to the sea, has been protected since 1968. Molluscs, amphibians and reptiles live in and around the lake, a long list of bird species has been recorded here, and the mouth of the Guduća is an important place for birds.
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Prokljan is a brackish lake linked to the sea through the Krka estuary, and the town of Skradin on its shore is the gateway to Krka National Park. The calm water suits rowers, and a kayaking day on the Krka and Prokljan starts from the beach in Skradin. In summer the current is negligible, but after heavy rain it can reach about three knots near the narrows. Boat trips between Skradin and the lake run often in summer. Skradin’s restaurants serve mussels, clams and oysters, and the islet of Stipanac has ancient ruins.
The villages on the shore, Raslina, Prokljan, Zaton and Bilice, are known for their eel and fish dishes, so a day on the lake can end at a village table. The lake also combines easily with a visit to the Krka waterfalls from Skradin.
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Sight
The best-known waterfall of Krka National Park, downstream of Visovac lake and upstream of the Prokljan estuary: a wide series of tufa cascades and pools. Visiting Skradinski buk Swimming below the main falls has been banned since January 2021; you…
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