Lake Khövsgöl

Lake Khövsgöl lies in the far north of Mongolia at 1,645 m, close to the Russian border at the foot of the eastern Sayan mountains. It is 136 km long, up to about 36 km wide and 262 m deep, and holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water, around 0.4% of all the fresh water on Earth. The Dukha reindeer herders live in the taiga to the west.

An ancient, clear lake

Khövsgöl is more than two million years old, one of the world's few ancient lakes. It is very low in nutrients, so the water is exceptionally clear: you can often see more than 18 m down. Its only outflow, the Egiin Gol, carries the water to the Selenge and on to Lake Baikal. The lake is protected within a national park created in 1992. Forests of Siberian larch line its shores, and the mountains rise to 3,492 m at Mönkh Saridag on the Russian border. Brown bear, moose, elk, musk deer, ibex, argali, wolf and sable live in the surrounding mountains. The fish include lenok, burbot, perch and the endangered Khövsgöl grayling, found nowhere else.

Time on the lake

Summer is for boating, kayaking, riding and hiking along the shores. Allow at least three nights, or a week for a ride along the shore. The water is cold even in July, and the best weather is usually from late June to August, although July is also the wettest month.

Winter and care for the lake

In winter the lake freezes completely and becomes a white plain. Driving on the ice is now forbidden because of the risk of fuel pollution and of vehicles breaking through. Plastic pollution is a growing problem, so carry your rubbish out, use biodegradable soap well away from the shore, and follow local rules on fishing permits.