Natural Heritage · Natural site
Lake Khövsgöl
Mongolia's largest freshwater lake by volume, 136 km long, set among forests and mountains near the Russian border.
- Location
- Khövsgöl aimag
- Type
- Natural site
- Key Fact
- Holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water
About the Site
Lake Khövsgöl lies at about 1,645 metres above sea level in the far north of Mongolia. It is up to 136 km long and 36.5 km wide, covers some 2,760 km², and averages 138 metres deep, which makes it the country's largest lake by volume: it holds almost 70% of Mongolia's fresh water and 0.4% of all the fresh water in the world.
The lake drains at its southern end through the Egiin Gol, which flows into the Selenge and on to Lake Baikal. It freezes completely each winter.
The lake area is a national park. Ibex, argali, elk, wolves, wolverines, musk deer, brown bears, moose and sable live in the surrounding mountains, and the lake is home to the endangered Khövsgöl grayling, found nowhere else.
What to See
- The clear water and forested shores of the lake
- Khatgal at the southern tip, and the Egiin Gol leaving the lake
- Wildlife and birdlife of the national park
Visiting
- Most visitors arrive at Khatgal, in Alag-Erdene soum, at the southern tip; it has an airport and lakeside camps.
- Summer is the main season. In winter the ice is thick, but driving on it is now forbidden.
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