Vlasina Lake

How it formed

The lake lies on the Vlasina plateau in the municipalities of Surdulica and Crna Trava, surrounded by the mountains Čemernik, Vardenik and Gramada. Surveys showed that a lake had existed in the area in the distant past. The central part is wide and deep, and the eastern shore is jagged, with two bays, Biljanina Bara and the smaller Murin Zaliv. The southern part is shallower, with swampy, peaty shores.

History

The lake was made in the 1940s and 1950s as part of the Vlasina hydropower system, which also includes the Lisina reservoir.

Nature

The most famous feature of the lake is its floating islands. They did not exist in the former peat bog and began to appear in 1948, when the lake was created: at high water, loose chunks of peat break off the shore, and the wind drives them across the lake. They carry plants and animals and are shelter and food for fish, which makes them a target for anglers, but visiting or disturbing them is forbidden because of their unique ecosystems. Permanent islands on the eastern coast are covered with greenery and forest.

Thirty islands, one called Moby Dick

There are about thirty larger and smaller islands, and the biggest one is called Mobi Dik. In winter the ice stops them, and they rest near the shore instead of drifting. Cormorants nest near the islands, and birdwatching is good at the wetland and forest edges. Deer, foxes and wild boar are possible in the quieter parts, mostly in the morning and evening.

Fish

The lake is known to anglers for perch, chub, catfish, carp, white amur and trout. Do not land on the islands, and ask locally about permits and the season.