Inland Fisheries

7.1.3 Types of lakes in the upland of India

Broadly, the lakes in the uplands of India are of two types. They are

1. Lakes which do not freeze at any time of the year

This type of lakes is generally situated in valleys or plateaus at relatively higher elevations. These are Wular in Kashmir, the Renuka in Himachal Pradesh, the Bhimtal, and the Devariatal in Uttar Pradesh, the Nainital and the Sattal in Uttaranchal, the Ooty and the Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu and the Devikulam and the Elephant in Kerala.

2. Lakes which freeze partly or fully during a part of the year

This type of lakes is generally situated in higher elevations. These are the Dal, Kishansar, Vishensar, Shishnag, Tarsar, Marsar and the Neelnaa which remain frozen for a considerable part of the year. Most of these lakes except the Dal and the Wular in Kashmir are small ranging between 1.8 and 9.3 ha in area. Although the majority of the upland lakes are fresh water, yet there are several salt water lakes in Ladakh, notably the Pangong Tso and Tsomoriri.

These lakes support a lucrative indigenous and exotic fish fauna comprising snow trouts, trouts, mahseers, crucian carps, mirror carps and tenches.