Satpara Lake Sakardu, Pakistan

Satpara Lake Sakardu, Pakistan

Satpara Lake (also called “Sadpara Lake”) is natural lake situated about 9 kilometers (5.59 miles) north of Skardu (the capital of Baltistan), in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. Situated at an altitude of 2,635 meters (8645 feet) the lake is reached after 20 minutes of jeep drive from Skardu.

A dam named as Skardu Dam is being built on this lake to generate more electricity. The dam is 128 ft high and will generate about 17.36 MV of electricity. The lake is a big source of fresh water and is 8650 ft long. The crystal clear water of Satpara Lake gives delight to one’s eyes. The water of this lake shines in the daytime and that is why people believe that gold is buried in the bottom. Satpara Lake serves as a centre of various activities such as row borating, and trout fishing.

The lake is open the whole year but this does not mean that the optimal time to travel to the lake is anywhere in the summer or the winter months. Rather the best time to travel to the lake is in the spring when the lush vegetation near the lake has taken full form and the flowers have started to bloom. With the vegetation growing and the flowers blooming, the vast lake which measures more than 2.5 Km becomes a marvel of nature. And as the dam has added more space to the lake, this time is the best time to see various animals that have now made their homes near the lake in order to reap the benefits that it brings.

After visiting some of Pakistans smaller Lakes I found this Lake still beautiful but not as captivating as the others. I don't know if it was due to the weather or just the size of the Lake. It didn't matter as we were going past it anyway and we enjoyed stopping to take a few photos. Like usual I find the colour of the water contrasts beautifully with the harsher landscape.