Lake Imandra is located in the Murmansk region in the southwest of the Kola Peninsula. It frames the western Khibiny Mountains and is part of the European Subarctic. In terms of water area, Imandra competes with Inari in Finland. Its area is 815.5 m2, including the islands - 876 m2. For a mainland northern lake, this is quite large.
Despite its significant size and location between Murmansk and the White Sea, Lake Imandra was recorded on geographical maps of Khibiny late. The reservoir of the Kola Peninsula was first mentioned in the maps of Olai Magnus in 1539. In them, the reservoir had the name Lacus alba - historian-geographers considered it the second name of the White Sea. With the formation of cartography data, it became clear that Lacus alba belongs to an independent water territory.
In 1568, D. Gastaldo created a map of the Khibiny, where Lago Bianco was connected by drainage to the White Sea. In 1594 Levin Algut published a map of a lake with access to the Gulf of Finland. In the same year, Mercator's map showed the drainage connecting the reservoir with the White Sea and the mouth of the river emerging from the lake with the city of Kandalaksha on the shore.
The Russian Geographical Society conducted a geological expedition in 1880. It passed through the Imandra basin. Nikolai Kudryavtsev, in addition to geological research, made sketches of the area and collected topographical and toponymic materials of the Imandra Lake basin in the Khibiny Mountains. Local Sami guides told the scientist about the names of bays, capes and islands. The list of names made up 30 pages of the geologist-researcher's diary.
The length of the lake is 109 kilometers, width from several hundred meters to several kilometers. This is due to the fact that Imandra is located in a tectonic fault in the earth’s crust, which runs along the meridian. Therefore, it is a basin with a complex shape and surrounding relief. The average depth of the lake is 16 meters. The deepest point is 66 meters. There are 144 islands on the territory: Erm is the largest, it has an area of 26 m2.
Lake Imandra is divided into three reservoirs: Bolshaya Imandra, Ekostrovskaya Imandra and Babinskaya Imandra. They are connected by two straits: Ekostrovsky and Zayachya Salma.
Bolshaya Imandra is the northern part of the reservoir. Its area is 328 m2. It ranks second in area, but first in length and volume - the length from north to south is 55 kilometers, the volume is 4.6 cubic kilometers (42.2%). The width of Lake Imandra is 3-8 kilometers. The widest part on Vite Bay is 16.5 kilometers.
In the east, Bolshaya Imandra borders the Khibiny Mountains; along the coast there are tourist recreation centers. Here the shore is weakly dissected. The western one is cut up by a large number of lips: Kurenga, Vite, Monche, Belaya and Kislaya. They approach the border with Norway and Finland, abutting the Monchetundra, Chunatundra and Volchya ridges. There are 80 islands within the lake, which makes up most of the total number in the water area. The total area of the islands is 16 m2.
Between the islands Vysoky and Syav there is the deepest crater of the reservoir - 67 meters. The depth between the shoreline and the middle line of the lake changes sharply: this is indicated by the color of the water, darkening towards the middle of the reservoir. Here the indicators reach several tens of meters. In windy weather, waves rise.
Bolshaya Imandra has many tributaries in the form of small streams and 11 large rivers. The following rivers flow in from the east: Pecha, Goltsovka, Kuna, Bolshaya Belaya and Malaya Belaya. In the north, the tributary is the Kurenka River, on the western side - Varmyok, Kurka, Nyuduay, Monche, and Vite.
Ekostrovskaya Imandra is the largest and central part of the lake water area. Area - 361.9 m2. The shape of the lake resembles an oval, elongated towards the west and east. Width - 18.7 kilometers in the area of Okhtokanda Bay. This lip and three more - Knyazhaya, Tik-Guba and Zasheechnaya are considered the largest in this part of the reservoir, but there are other small bays. There are 42 islands in the lake area.
In the west of Ekostrovskaya Imandra, the Zayachya Salma Strait connects the central part with the southern part - Babinskaya Imandra. The strait is less than 1 kilometer wide and is the only connection between the two parts of the lake. Previously, there was Narrow Salma, which ran between Rovat Island and the protruding shore of the mainland. The construction of the Murmansk-Leningrad highway required blocking the strait and building a dam: as a result, a peninsula was formed from Rovat Island.
The Pirenga River is considered the largest tributary of the Ekostrovskaya Imandra. It flows into the lake on the northwest side. The Pirenga basin has a long tributary, the Enu. At the northern shore of the reservoir, in the border of the bays from Ekostrovsky to Voche-Lambin, there are no significant tributaries, only small streams. From the northwest, the Chuna River enters the Voche-Lambina Bay, originating from Chunozero. Another western tributary is the Osinovy stream. The southern and western banks of the Ekostrovskaya Imandra have small tributaries. The largest ones are the Tikvuoi, Mastym and Zhemchuzhny streams near Tik-lip. Near the Ohtakanda Bay there are tributaries: Snezhnaya - Vydzjoki and Chernaya - Chahpisyok.
Babinskaya Imandra is the southern part of the lake. It is the smallest, with an area of 133 m2. The lake reservoir is close to a circle in shape, the coastline is strewn with lips: Molochnaya, Cheverez, Kamka, Upoloksha and Kun-chast. Within the boundaries of Babinskaya Imandra there are 22 islands, among them Erm, reaching 10 km in length. This is the highest island - its territory has an elevation of 397 meters.
Flora and fauna
The harsh climate of the Kola Peninsula did not prevent flora and fauna from establishing themselves in the Imandrovo subarctic water expanses. In summer, the water almost does not warm up due to the short period without ice crust and the low level of peat in the soil.
Imandra is rich in fish: fishing lasts all year round. The lake is inhabited by whitefish, salmon, vendace, char and pike. With a spinning rod, fishing rod and other equipment, you can fish from the shore and boat. In addition, the Khibiny Mountains attract with their amazing nature and beautiful landscapes. In summer, Lake Imandra is not overgrown with vegetation. Therefore, the only thing that can hinder the fishermen is the bottom with numerous snags: the banks of the reservoir are covered with pine forests. They are home to wild animals: martens, hares, wolverines, wolves, brown bears, moose, reindeer. Berries grow in autumn.
In summer and winter, an annual 100-kilometer sailing regatta takes place on Lake Imandra near Monchegorsk. To the west of the lake is the Lapland Nature Reserve.
Fauna of Imandra
The rich flora of Imndra provides shelter for numerous species of animals, including especially rare and protected ones. On the territory of the Lapland Nature Reserve, where Lake Imandra is located, a large population of reindeer, as well as moose, foxes, brown bears, martens, hares and a huge number of different species of rodents, live in natural conditions. The forests are home to partridges and black grouse, and there are large populations of rare bird species such as the golden eagle, osprey and white-tailed eagle. The expanses of the reservoir have become home to screaming swan, diving ducks and geese.
Like many northern waters, Lake Imandra is home to numerous representatives of ichthyofauna. There are a variety of game fish here, such as pike and char, grayling, whitefish, smelt and lake minnow.
History of the name of Lake Imandra
According to A. Kazakov’s theory, the name of the lake is associated with the local population - the Sami. They call Imandra lakes of large size with a strongly indented coastline, numerous islands and parallel-oriented bays.
There is also a legend about why the lake in the Khibiny is called Imandra. It says that a hunter lived with his daughter Imandra near the shores of the lake. The girl was beautiful and laughed wonderfully.
On the other side of the mountains lived a young man. One day he was hunting in the mountains and heard Imandra laughing. The young man followed the sound and saw a beautiful girl: the beauty enchanted him so much that he could not take his eyes off. Forgetting that he was in mountains with deep abysses, the young man continued walking and fell into the gorge.
Imandra turned to the gods with a request to revive the guy, but received no answer. The girl often came to the place of the young man’s death and cried. Once Imandra saw changes in one rock: her lover’s facial features were imprinted on it, but they remained stone. Despair overwhelmed the girl, she jumped off the cliff into the lake. At that moment the water parted and the lake became huge.
Lake Imandra in Khibiny is a great place for relaxation and fishing. It has an interesting history that any local resident will be happy to tell you. Visit the Kola Peninsula to see the magnificent beauty of our country.
History and etymology:
Despite its large size and position on the main summer route between the White Sea region and Murman, Lake Imandra appeared on geographical maps quite late. The first mention of the existence of a large reservoir in the interior of Lapland is found on the oldest maps of the North by Olai Magnus, who compiled them in 1539 and designated a large lake. Lacus alba. Many historical geographers identified Lacus alba with the White Sea, but the development of cartographic data confirmed the opinion that Lacus alba is a body of water independent from the White Sea. So, already in 1568, on the map of Jacopo Gastaldo, this lake called Lago Bianco had a flow into the White Sea. On the map of Levin Algut [1594], Lago Bianco had a flow into the Gulf of Finland, but on the Mercator map [1594], Albus lac again had a flow into the White Sea, and at the mouth of the river flowing from this lake, the village of Candelok is indicated (Kandalaksha).
Quite a lot of detail inside Lapland is found in the original map of Simon Van Salingen, compiled based on personal observations in 1601. The lake depicted by Simon Van Salingen does not yet have the name Imandra, but the signature on the Akill map says that it is indeed Imandra, since the western part of the lake was called Akkelaiver by the Lapps.
On the map of Andrei Bureus, compiled in 1611, the Lacus albus body of water disappears, but the details of the sea coast indicate that he used new sources when compiling the map. On the maps of Russia by S. Neugebauer [1612] and G. Gerrits [1613], Albus lac appears again, having a drainage, as on the Mercator map, into the White Sea near Kandalaksha. But already in the next edition of the map of G. Gerrits [1614], a lake is indicated in the upper reaches of the river. Pejcr - probably corresponding to the name of the lake. Pirenga. Only in the atlas of Kirillov [1745] lake. Imandra reappears on the map and from that time on, in one form or another, appears under this name.
In the summer of 1840, the middle part of the Kola Peninsula was crossed by the route of A.F. Middendorf, later a widely known naturalist. He headed along the length of Kola, along Imandra and Niva to Kandalaksha. As the traveler himself admitted, “for topographic surveys I had nothing except an ordinary small hunting compass with a degree circle (without a diopter). All that I could do to survey the area was limited to carefully marking, using a compass, every sharp change in the direction of my path, with an approximate account of the space I traversed, which I kept mainly by the clock.”
Despite this, the map of the route from Kola to Kandalaksha, printed by Middendorf in 1845, turned out to be a much more accurate depiction of the topography of the Imandra basin than the Postal Map published three years earlier. Thus, on the Postal Map the Umba River was depicted flowing from the Imandra and flowing into the Kandalaksha Bay, but Middendorf showed that in reality the waters of the Imandra are discharged into the White Sea by the Niva River.
Significant and interesting results of mapping the Imandra basin were obtained by the Finnish expedition (V. Ramsey, A. Chilman, A. Petrelius, etc., which worked on the Kola Peninsula from 1887 to 1892. The expedition topographer A. Petrelius was the first to identify a number of astronomical points in the central parts of the peninsula and made a semi-instrumental survey of the lake basin. Published by Petrelius in Finland in 1892, the map of the lake correctly conveyed the general outlines of the reservoir, but was not accurate enough in detail. The survey was not carried out by walking around the lake, but with serifs from individual hills, so there are no many details of the coastline - capes, bays, etc.
In 1880, the route of the expedition of geologist N.V. Kudryavtsev, organized by the Russian Geographical Society, passed through the lake basin. Along with geological observations, the traveler made sketches and collected materials on the topography and toponymy of the basin. The Sami guides told him the local names of islands, capes, and bays. Their list took up almost 30 pages in Kudryavtsev’s diary.
By the end of the 19th century, the location of the reservoir was known quite reliably, but the lake itself remained unexplored for a long time. “Lake Imandra remains in many respects completely Terraincognita,” geographer A.S. Grigoriev wrote at the beginning of the 20th century on the pages of the News of the Geographical Society. “No limnological or hydrobiological studies have been carried out on it; neither its depth, nor the structure of the banks, nor its origin are known.”
Work on the study of Imandra was started in 1924 by the first scientific institution in the Russian north - the Murmansk Biological Station. A small expedition consisting of G.M. Kreps, F.E. Belov, F.VKrogius and M.N. Mikhailov headed to the lake, focusing their efforts on the hydrological and hydrobiological study of Belaya Bay and the adjacent part of the reservoir. In 1925, already under the leadership of G.D. Richter, a survey of the lake’s water area was carried out, and in 1926 a “Preliminary report on the work of the Imandra Expedition” was published, which is deservedly ranked among the classic works in the field of Russian lake science.
In the 1960s, when the problem of lake pollution emerged, GosNIORH expeditions carried out a small amount of research and, starting from the 1970s, the Kola Science Center has been conducting long-term in-depth studies of anthropogenic variability in the lake’s ecosystem. Imandra, which include the study of water quality and bottom sediments, flora and fauna communities.
The origin of the name of Lake Imandra has not yet been fully revealed.
According to the famous geographer N.N. Poppe, the name of the lake has a common root with the name '"Imatra". It is possible that the name is very ancient and of non-local origin. The local Lapp name for the lake is “Iveryavr”, which has already fallen into disuse. But, according to the Lapps themselves, this name is also not Lapp, since the word “Iver” does not appear in the modern Lapp language. It is possible that this is an ancient Lapp word, the meaning of which is currently forgotten. There is an assumption that originally there was “Avvy-eur” - an open lake. On some Finnish maps at the beginning of the century the name lmantero was sometimes found (map SuomenJleiskarten, 1901) and only the western part of the lake - Babinskaya Imandra - retains the name Akilaiwer.
S.B. Vasiliev believes that given the transport significance of the lake in the life of the Lapps, mainly in winter, it is highly likely that it was originally called Innmandera, which means an ice continent or a large ice expanse (inn - ice, mandera - continent). Later the name was transformed into a more harmonious one for Russian settlers, which is how it has remained to this day.
A. Kazakov writes that the term “Imandra” was used by the Sami to refer to large lakes with a winding coastline, with many islands and bays that have a parallel orientation.
There is also a legend about the origin of the name of the lake. Imandra is the name of a girl, the daughter of a hunter who once lived on the shore of a small lake. Like her father, the daughter hunted, was fast, beautiful, and her laughter woke up the sleepy mountains. One day, her joyful laughter was heard by a young hunter who lived on the other side of the mountains. He followed this laugh and saw Imandra. Enchanted by her beauty, he forgot that he was walking through mountains with deep gorges, could not take his eyes off the girl and fell into the abyss. Imandra began to ask the gods to revive the young man, but the gods were silent. She often came to the gorge and cried, and one day she saw that one of the rocks had been transformed into the face of her lover, but it remained stone. Then Imandra, in despair, threw herself into the lake, which parted and became huge.
Lake Imandra
Lake Imandra is the largest body of water in the Murmansk region. It ranks fourteenth in the list of the largest lakes in Russia. Today it is one of the most visited reservoirs in the region. Locals and tourists relax here.
Panorama of Lake Imandra on Google maps
Lake Imandra is located in the west of the Kola Peninsula, Murmansk region. Cities and small settlements are distributed along the shore of this reservoir: Apatity, Monchegorsk, Imandra, Khibiny, Tik-Guba, Afrikanda, Zasheek. There is a unique place on the reservoir called “Milk Lip”. The water here never freezes. On the western shore of the reservoir is the Lapland Nature Reserve.
The maximum depth of Lake Imandra is 67 meters. The average depth is 16 meters. The area of Lake Imandra is 876 square meters. meters. The length of the reservoir is 120 kilometers. Width - 14 kilometers. Pool area - 12342 sq. kilometers.
Today the lake is a reservoir with long-term water level regulation. It is located in a backwater zone due to the construction of the Niva hydroelectric power station cascade in 1950–1960. The reservoir is divided into three parts: Bolshaya Imandra, Ekostrovskaya Imandra and Babinskaya Imandra.
Bite forecast
White amur
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for grass carp. Grass carp are found in deep places.
Loach
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
0
There is no loach biting The loach is found in deep places
Chub
7
There are no chub bites. The chub is located at shallow depths
6
There are no chub bites. The chub is found in deep places.
7
There are no chub bites. The chub is located at shallow depths
7
There are no chub bites. The chub is located at shallow depths
12
There are no chub bites. The chub is located at shallow depths
24
There is almost no chub bite. The chub is located at shallow depths
38
Sluggish chub bite The chub is found in deep places
42
The chub bite is worse than average. The chub is found in deep places.
26
There is almost no chub bite. The chub is located at shallow depths
40
Sluggish chub bite The chub is found in deep places
45
The chub bite is worse than average. The chub is found in deep places.
54
Average chub bite Chub is found in deep places
32
Sluggish chub bite The chub is located at shallow depths
49
The chub bite is worse than average. The chub is found in deep places.
46
The chub bite is worse than average. The chub is found in deep places.
46
The chub bite is worse than average. The chub is found in deep places.
Minnow
9
No minnow biting Minnow is found in deep places
10
No minnow biting Minnow is located at shallow depths
10
No minnow biting Minnow is found in deep places
9
No minnow biting Minnow is found in deep places
16
No minnow biting Minnow is found in deep places
47
The minnow bite is worse than average. The minnow is located at shallow depths.
55
Average minnow bite The minnow is found in deep places
57
Average minnow bite The minnow is located at shallow depths
38
Sluggish minnow bite The minnow is found in deep places
72
Good minnow bite The minnow is located at shallow depths
65
Good bite for minnows Minnows are found in deep places
65
Good bite for minnows Minnows are found in deep places
47
The minnow bite is worse than average. The minnow is found in deep places.
88
Very good minnow bite The minnow is located at shallow depths
67
Good bite for minnows Minnows are found in deep places
56
Average minnow bite The minnow is found in deep places
Gorchak
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
4
There is no bite for bitterling Gorchak is located at shallow depths
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
14
There is no bite for bitterling Gorchak is located at shallow depths
16
There is no bite for bitterling Gorchak is located at shallow depths
19
There is no bite for bitterling Gorchak is located at shallow depths
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
22
There is almost no bitterling bite. Gorchak is located at shallow depths
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
26
There is almost no bitterling bite. Gorchak is located at shallow depths
19
There is no bite for bitterling Gorchak is located at shallow depths
0
There is no bite for the bitterling. The bitterling is found in deep places.
Dace
17
No dace bite The dace is located at shallow depths
11
No dace bite The dace is located at shallow depths
11
No dace bite The dace is located at shallow depths
11
No dace bite The dace is located at shallow depths
30
There is almost no dace bite. The dace is located at shallow depths
42
The dace bite is worse than average. The dace is located at shallow depths.
54
Average bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
60
Average bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
64
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
64
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
64
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
77
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
78
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
78
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
65
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
65
Good bite for dace Dace is located at shallow depths
crucian carp
3
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths.
3
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths.
0
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is in deep places.
0
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is in deep places.
6
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths.
12
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths.
25
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths
34
Sluggish bite of crucian carp Crucian carp is located at shallow depths
17
There is no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is in deep places.
22
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
25
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
30
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
21
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
27
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
30
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is located at shallow depths
25
There is almost no bite for crucian carp. Crucian carp is found in deep places.
Carp
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
0
No carp biting Carp are in deep places
Rudd
8
No rudd biting The rudd is located at shallow depths
8
There is no bite for rudd. Rudd is found in deep places.
9
There is no bite for rudd. Rudd is found in deep places.
9
There is no bite for rudd. Rudd is found in deep places.
14
No rudd biting The rudd is located at shallow depths
38
Sluggish bite of rudd The rudd is located at shallow depths
46
The rudd bite is worse than average. The rudd is found in deep places.
52
Average rudd bite The rudd is located at shallow depths
36
Sluggish bite of rudd The rudd is located at shallow depths
57
Average rudd bite The rudd is located at shallow depths
54
Average rudd bite The rudd is found in deep places
65
Good bite for rudd The rudd is found in deep places
44
The rudd bite is worse than average. The rudd is located at shallow depths.
70
Good bite for rudd The rudd is located at shallow depths
56
Average rudd bite The rudd is found in deep places
56
Average rudd bite The rudd is found in deep places
Bream
12
No bream biting Bream is found in deep places
9
No bream biting Bream is found in deep places
9
No bream biting Bream is found in deep places
10
No bream biting Bream is found in deep places
22
There is almost no bream bite Bream is found in deep places
35
Sluggish bream bite Bream is found in deep places
48
Bream bite is worse than average Bream is found in deep places
59
Average bream bite Bream is found in deep places
50
Bream bite is worse than average Bream is found in deep places
56
Average bream bite Bream is found in deep places
56
Average bream bite Bream is found in deep places
75
Good bream bite Bream is found in deep places
62
Good bite for bream Bream is found in deep places
69
Good bite for bream Bream is found in deep places
58
Average bream bite Bream is found in deep places
64
Good bite for bream Bream is found in deep places
Tench
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
0
No tench are biting Tench is found in deep places
lake trout
23
There is almost no lake trout bite Lake trout are located at shallow depths
15
No lake trout biting Lake trout are located at shallow depths
15
No lake trout biting Lake trout are located at shallow depths
15
No lake trout biting Lake trout are located at shallow depths
42
Lake trout bite is worse than average Lake trout are located at shallow depths
59
Average lake trout bite Lake trout are located at shallow depths
75
Good bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
84
Very good bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
89
Very good bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
89
Very good bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
89
Very good bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
100
The best bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
100
The best bite for lake trout Lake trout are found in deep places
100
The best bite for lake trout Lake trout are found in deep places
91
Excellent bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
91
Excellent bite for lake trout Lake trout are located at shallow depths
Perch
0
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
13
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
12
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
10
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
0
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
36
Sluggish perch bite Perch is in deep places
42
The perch bite is worse than average. The perch is in deep places.
48
The perch bite is worse than average. The perch is in deep places.
0
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
56
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
56
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
51
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
0
No perch biting Perch is in deep places
57
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
57
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
52
Average perch bite Perch is found in deep places
Roach
11
No roaches biting Roaches are found in deep places
11
No roaches biting Roaches are found in deep places
11
No roaches biting Roaches are found in deep places
11
No roaches biting Roaches are found in deep places
20
No roaches biting Roaches are found in deep places
40
Sluggish biting of roaches Roaches are found in deep places
54
Average roach bite Roach is found in deep places
60
Average roach bite Roach is found in deep places
47
The roach bite is worse than average The roach is located at shallow depths
64
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
64
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
77
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
58
Average roach bite Roach is located at shallow depths
78
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
65
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
65
Good roach bite Roach is found in deep places
Podust
10
There is no bite for the underdust The underdust is located at a shallow depth
13
There is no bite for the underdust The underdust is located at a shallow depth
11
There is no bite for the underdust. The underdust is found in deep places.
10
There is no bite for the underdust. The underdust is found in deep places.
17
There is no bite for the underdust The underdust is located at a shallow depth
57
Average bite of the Podust The Podust is located at a shallow depth
68
Podust has a good bite. Podust is found in deep places.
70
Not a bad bite of the podust The pod is located at a shallow depth
44
Podust bite is worse than average Podust is located at shallow depths
87
Very good bite of the underdust The underdust is located at a shallow depth
81
Very good bite of the underdust. The underdust is found in deep places.
88
Very good bite of the underdust. The underdust is found in deep places.
54
Average bite of the Podust The Podust is located at a shallow depth
100
The best bite for underdust The underdust is located at shallow depths
82
Very good bite of the underdust. The underdust is found in deep places.
75
Podust has a good bite. Podust is found in deep places.
Rotan
16
There is no bite for rotan. Rotan is found in deep places.
11
There is no bite for rotan. Rotan is found in deep places.
10
There is no bite for rotan. Rotan is found in deep places.
9
There is no bite for rotan. Rotan is found in deep places.
19
There is no bite for rotan. Rotan is found in deep places.
32
Sluggish bite of rotan rotan is found in deep places
36
Sluggish bite of rotan rotan is found in deep places
45
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
48
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
48
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
48
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
48
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
49
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
49
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
49
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
49
Rotan bite is worse than average Rotan is found in deep places
Zander
18
No pike perch biting Pike perch is located at shallow depths
12
No pike perch biting Pike perch is located at shallow depths
9
No pike perch biting Pike perch is in deep places
8
No pike perch biting Pike perch is in deep places
21
There is almost no pike perch bite. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
29
There is almost no pike perch bite. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
30
There is almost no pike perch bite. Pike perch is found in deep places
38
Sluggish pike perch bite Pike perch is in deep places
44
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
44
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
40
Sluggish pike perch bite Pike perch is in deep places
40
Sluggish pike perch bite Pike perch is in deep places
45
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
45
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is located at shallow depths
41
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is found in deep places
41
The pike perch bite is worse than average. Pike perch is found in deep places
Bleak
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
0
No bleak bite Bleak is found in deep places
Grayling
6
No grayling bite Grayling is in deep places
14
No grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
14
No grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
14
No grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
11
No grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
52
Average grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
66
Good bite for grayling Grayling is located at shallow depths
73
Good grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
24
There is almost no grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
78
Good grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
78
Good grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
94
Excellent bite of grayling Grayling is located at shallow depths
29
There is almost no grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
96
Excellent bite of grayling Grayling is located at shallow depths
80
Good grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
80
Good grayling bite Grayling is located at shallow depths
Pike
0
No pike biting Pike are in deep places
15
No pike biting Pike are in deep places
12
No pike biting Pike is located at shallow depths
10
No pike biting Pike is located at shallow depths
0
No pike biting Pike are in deep places
41
Pike bite is worse than average Pike is located at shallow depths
47
Pike bite is worse than average Pike is located at shallow depths
59
Average pike bite Pike is located at shallow depths
0
No pike biting Pike are in deep places
64
Good pike bite Pike are found in deep places
63
Good pike bite Pike is located at shallow depths
63
Good pike bite Pike is located at shallow depths
0
No pike biting Pike are in deep places
66
Good pike bite Pike are found in deep places
64
Good pike bite Pike is located at shallow depths
64
Good pike bite Pike is located at shallow depths
Ide
12
There is no bite for ide. The ide is located at shallow depths.
11
There is no bite for ide. The ide is located at shallow depths.
11
There is no bite for ide. The ide is located at shallow depths.
11
There is no bite for ide. The ide is located at shallow depths.
22
There is almost no ide bite. The ide is located at shallow depths
43
The ide bite is worse than average. The ide is located at shallow depths.
56
Average bite of ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
62
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
46
The ide bite is worse than average. The ide is located at shallow depths.
66
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
66
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
79
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
57
Average bite of ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
81
Very good bite of ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
67
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
67
Good bite for ide. Ide is located at shallow depths.
Ruff
21
There is almost no bite for the ruff. The ruff is located at a shallow depth
14
There is no bite for the ruff The ruff is located at a shallow depth
12
There is no bite for the ruff The ruff is found in deep places
10
There is no bite for the ruff The ruff is found in deep places
25
There is almost no bite for the ruff. The ruff is located at a shallow depth
38
Sluggish bite of the ruff Ruff is located at a shallow depth
42
The ruff bite is worse than average. The ruff is found in deep places
52
The average bite of the ruff Ruff is in deep places
58
The average bite of the ruffe The ruff is located at a shallow depth
58
The average bite of the ruffe The ruff is located at a shallow depth
55
The average bite of the ruff Ruff is in deep places
55
The average bite of the ruff Ruff is in deep places
60
The average bite of the ruffe The ruff is located at a shallow depth
60
The average bite of the ruffe The ruff is located at a shallow depth
57
The average bite of the ruff Ruff is in deep places
57
The average bite of the ruff Ruff is in deep places
Add:
Fishing on Lake Imandra
Today, the reservoir is subject to strong anthropogenic pressure, which comes from factories and industrial facilities located on the coast of the source. So far, the ecological situation on the lake is within normal limits. The waters of the source contain a lot of fish that can be eaten.
Lake Imandra is not rich in species diversity of ichthyofauna. It is home to Pacific trout, brown trout, Arctic char, vendace, whitefish, pike, burbot, smelt, stickleback, grayling, carp, ide, perch, and ruff. Most of the fish in the reservoir are pike, perch, ide and ruff. In industrial terms, whitefish, vendace, burbot, and smelt are caught here.
Arctic char are best caught in winter and summer. It can be found in the area of reaches and in areas with elevation changes. This type of fish is hunted by poachers in their spawning areas. There are a lot of vendace and stickleback in the waters of Imandra, but this type of fish is not of particular interest to fishermen.
Whitefish mainly stay in large schools near the islands of Nesterov, Kumzhiy and the bays of Tik, Vite, Pitkulskaya, Voche, Medvezhya, Upolaksha, and Kislaya. The average length of this species is about 30 centimeters. Average weight is approximately 500 grams.
Fishing on Lake Imandra goes on all year round. The large expanse of water area and the different geological structure of the coastline make it possible to fish here both from the shore and from a boat.
Ichthyofauna of Imandra
The ichthyofauna of the Kola Peninsula is rich and diverse; for example, 28 species of different fish live there; about half of these species are found in Lake Imandra. Therefore, even a novice angler can count on a decent catch. Imandra is home to not only fish that are traditional for most reservoirs in our country, such as ide, pike, burbot, roach, perch, and minnow. Here you can also find whitefish, salmon, trout, vendace, and char (palya).
It is fishing for char in Lake Imandra that will be the main topic of this article. This species of salmon also lives in neighboring lakes, Lovozero in lakes Gremyaki and Kildinskoye, in Umbozero and the Kovd-ozerskoye reservoir in Lake Pirengskoye. Of course, Imandra’s fish stocks are no longer the same as they were in the 60s of the last century, when fish were caught in the lake industrially, and a large share of the catches was palya.
What can you say about the loach? First of all, this fish is famous for its tender and tasty meat; char is also a very athletic and beautiful predator. The fish got its name “char” because you can hardly feel the delicate scales covering its body with your hand. Char fishing in the lake is carried out all year round. However, the most interesting fishing for this fish occurs in Imandra in winter.
This is interesting: Lake Gorodno: fishing and what kind of fish is found
Weather on Lake Imandra
The reservoir is located in the northern Atlantic-Arctic climate zone. The area experiences long but moderately cold winters. Summers are cool, with minimal precipitation. The average temperature in winter is -4…-14°C. In summer, the average temperature is between +13…+15 °C. In the warm season, the air can warm up to +25…+27 °C.
Imandra is a glacial-tectonic lake. The water temperature in January can drop to -40°C, and in July rise above +25°C. The reservoir begins to freeze in November. Ice melting on the surface begins in May. In July, the average water temperature on the surface layer up to 10 meters can be +14…+18°C.
Lake Bolshaya Imandra
The reservoir is located in the northern part of the lake. Area 328 sq. kilometers. The lake stretches from north to south. Length 55 kilometers. The width of the source is between 3 and 8 kilometers. The widest place in the Vite Bay area is about 16 kilometers.
On the eastern side of Bolshaya Imandra are the Khibiny Mountains. The western coast is indented by bays. There are more than 80 islands in Bolshaya Imandra. Their total area is almost 16 square meters. kilometers. In this part of the reservoir between the islands Vysoky and Syav there is the deepest point of the entire water area of the lake.
Holidays on the lake
The surrounding area of the reservoir is a popular tourist destination. In addition to fishing, active recreational activities are common on Imandra. Lovers of mountain trails, wild conditions, and extreme sports come here. You can stay on the shore of the reservoir at local recreation centers, camping parks, hotels and inns. Also on the coast, vacations for “savages” are popular.
Tourist programs in the vicinity of the reservoir are a common type of recreation on Imandra. As part of excursion tours, it is possible to visit the Niva Cascade of reservoirs. In the region of the Khibiny Mountains, tourist routes have been organized near the reservoir. The further along the trails, the more beautiful the view of Lake Imandra from the heights of the Khibiny Hills.
Every year in April, an international competition under winter sails takes place on the ice of this reservoir on a 100-kilometer course. In the area of large cities and towns, active sports are common: kayaking, rowing slalom and freestyle. Tourist rafting is carried out along the rivers flowing into the reservoir. For vacationers, trips on yachts, boats, kayaks and catamarans are organized here.
A husky park has been opened on the shore of Lake Imandra. In winter, when the reservoir is covered with ice, they organize walks in a husky sled.
Features of the reservoir
Lake of glacial origin. Within the boundaries of this body of water there are more than 140 islands of different sizes. The largest island is Erma, with an area of 26 square meters. kilometers. The reservoir is fresh in terms of mineralization. The transparency of the water in the source ranges from 3 to 6 meters.
More than 20 rivers flow into the reservoir. The largest of them are Belaya, Monche and Pirenga. The Niva River flows out of the lake. The reservoir has a long and rugged coastline. The coast is characterized by a complex geological structure. Imandra is characterized by a variety of coastal types. The rocky coast gives way to pebbly, sandy, swampy. In some parts of the reservoir, the shore is represented by a combination of several types of geological formations.
Lake Imandra is rich in ichthyofauna. Representatives of the families of salmon, perch, carp, whitefish and pike are found here. The banks of the reservoir are covered with an abundance of vegetation. These are mainly coniferous forests. The forest belt is home to hare, bear, squirrel, martens, moose, and reindeer. There are a lot of berries here during the season.
It is believed that the reservoir was first discovered in 1880 by scientist N. Kudryavtsev during a geological expedition of the Russian geographical community. There are several versions of the source name. According to one of them, the name comes from the local dialect, where “inn” means “ice” and “mandera” means “mainland”. Another option is that the word “imandra” is translated from Sami as a lake with a winding coastline.
Local residents tell a legend about this unusual name of the lake. According to legend, this was the name of a girl who lived on the shore of a reservoir. After the death of her beloved, she threw herself into the waters of Imandra.
The Legend of Imandra
According to legend, Imandra is a girl who was the daughter of a hunter who lived on the shore of a very small lake. The girl was incredibly pretty, had excellent command of a bow and arrow, and successfully hunted with her father. The beauty's loud laughter attracted the attention of a young hunter passing by, who was so fascinated by the sound that he went to look for Imandra. Carried away by the search for the mysterious stranger, the young man completely forgot how dangerous the rocky shores and steep cliffs are. He fell down and died, crashing on the coastal rocks. The darkened Imandra for a long time asked the gods to bring the beautiful hunter back to life, but they left her pleas unanswered. Then, out of despair and grief, the girl threw herself into the waters of the lake, which accepted her sadness, parted and became huge. And the deceased hunter and Imandra turned into numerous islands on the blue surface of the reservoir.
How to get to Lake Imandra
You can get to the reservoir from Murmansk. It is best to go to Monchegorsk, located on the western shore of the lake. This is the closest city to Murmansk and there is a large selection of recreation centers, entertainment and excursion programs.
From Murmansk to Monchegorsk it is approximately 135 kilometers. You can get here by bus. Bus number 202 goes towards Monchegorsk.
You can also get to Monchegorsk by car along the E-105 (R-21) highway. The drive takes approximately 1.5–2 hours.
Route diagram from Murmansk to Monchegorsk on Google maps
Since Monchegorsk is located on the shores of Lake Imandra, you can get to this body of water around the city by local taxi. Yandex works here. Taxi, Hello, Center, Tornado.
Video: Lake Imandra, Ekostrovsky Strait
