Border zone. Since 2023, access to the northern part of the lake district requires a permit from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Shatsk Lakesreference guide · svityaz.lutsk.ua
Wooden boats among the reeds on the shore of Lake Pulemetske
51.5231, 23.7381

karst lake

Lake Pulemetske

Пулемецьке

19.2 m
Maximum depth
≈4.1 m
Average depth
≈15.68 km²
Surface area
≈71 million m³
Water volume

Verified dataset

Key facts

Pulemetske is the second largest and the westernmost lake of the Shatsk group. An underwater sandbar divides its karst basin into two hollows reaching depths of 19.2 m.

Status: Shatsk National Nature Park; the second largest lake in the park

Area
≈15.68 km²
Maximum depth
19.2 m
Average depth
≈4.1 m
Shoreline
16 km
Hydrochemistry

Water chemistry

calcium bicarbonate

pH
6.67–8.3
Total dissolved solids
≈218 mg/L
Dissolved oxygen O₂
12.6–13.8 mg/dm³
Trophic state
low level of eutrophication (one of the lowest in the group)

Ionic composition, mg/dm³

HCO₃⁻134
Ca²⁺40
SO₄²⁻14
Cl⁻14
Na⁺+K⁺11
Mg²⁺5

Ionic composition from the comparative hydrochemical study of 2018.

Field and laboratory measurements

Year and method matter: these values are not constant

TDS, field measurement

2014

105–107 ppm

Not to be equated with the laboratory ion sum of 218 mg/dm³.

NH₄-N

2014

0 mg/dm³

NO₃-N

2014

0.009 mg/dm³

PO₄-P

2014

0.104 mg/dm³

Ichthyofauna

Fish of the lake

All species →

Commercial catch structure, 2010–2018

Other12.9%

Ecosystem

Flora and birds

Birds

whooper swanducksgeese

What to know

Lake in detail

  • The second largest lake of the Shatsk group after Svitiaz, and the westernmost of them.
  • The basin is karst in origin; an underwater sandbar divides the bed into two deep hollows reaching 19.2 m.
  • Substantial sapropel deposits, estimated at about 37 million m³.
  • Canals connect it to Lakes Ostrivianske and Luky, and it feeds the ponds of the Ladanka fish farm.
  • The “Three Lakes” nature trail runs past it, taking in Lakes Klymivske and Chorne Male.
  • The park chronicle puts the fish fauna at roughly 21 species; 15 of them already have their own profile here, backed by local evidence.
  • In the commercial catches of 2010–2018, pike-perch (31.5%), roach (28.0%) and bream (27.6%) dominated.

History

Chronology

  1. 1974

    The lake was designated a state landscape reserve, before the national park existed.

  2. 1983

    Pulemetske is taken into Shatsk National Nature Park.

  3. 2014–2015

    Field and laboratory hydrochemical campaigns were carried out: pH, oxygen, TDS and nutrient compounds.

  4. 2018

    A comparative study recorded mineralisation of 218 mg/dm³ and a detailed ionic composition.

  5. 2021

    An inventory assessment put the water volume at about 70.96 million m³.

State and recreation

The lake today

Recreation

Beaches: the raised sandy shore on the south-east

Recreational fishing under the rules of Shatsk National Nature Park. During spawning — roughly 1 April to 10 June — a closure applies: rod fishing from the bank only, away from spawning grounds, with a daily limit of 3 kg. Taking eel, a Red Book species, is prohibited.

Rank in the group

#2by area · of 30
#2by depth · of 27
#4by mineralisation · of 10
Area against Svitiaz, the largest lake≈15.68 of 26.2 km²

Each measure counts only the lakes that report it.

Hydrology

Hydrological connections

The Shatsk lakes are not isolated bodies of water but a connected network. Canals cut between the late nineteenth and the mid twentieth century, along with natural channels, redistribute water between the lakes and the rivers.

Canal
Lake Luky

Pulemetske belongs to the western network of lakes linked to Luky.

Outflow
Lake Ostrivianske

A canal carries water to Ostrivianske, and on to the ponds of the Ladanka fish farm.

Channel
Lake Zvedynka

A small silted water body joined to Pulemetske by channels.

Geography and access

Places nearby

All places →

village

Pulmo

Pulmo is a village between Lakes Svitiaz and Pulemetske and an important gateway to the western part of the Shatsk lake district. Routes from here reach both large lakes and several smaller waters.

Open profile →

settlement

Shatsk

Shatsk is the administrative centre and main gateway to the Shatsk lake district. The settlement lies between Lakes Liutsymyr and Chorne Velyke and concentrates the community’s everyday services.

Open profile →

Language note

Editorial scope

This English profile carries the full narrative, chronology and local traditions. Source titles stay in their original language, and the Ukrainian page remains the reference version.

Read the Ukrainian profile →

Sources

Source titles are retained in their original language.

Photo: ЯдвигаВерескCC BY-SA 4.0cropped