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
White water lilies and frogs among the leaves on the surface of Lake Rytets
51.4975, 23.6767

karst lake

Lake Rytets

Ритець

6 m
Maximum depth
3 m
Average depth
≈0.042 km²
Surface area
0.07 million m³
Water volume

Verified dataset

Key facts

Rytets is a tiny but relatively deep karst lake hidden in the forest near the village of Koshary. The historical Mościcki canal carries its outflow to the Western Bug, and the open fish lists for it are sparse and need careful reading.

Status: Shatsk National Nature Park

Area
≈0.042 km²
Maximum depth
6 m
Average depth
3 m
Shoreline
— km

Ichthyofauna

Fish of the lake

All species →

Introduced / acclimatised

Channel catfish

Ecosystem

Flora and birds

Birds

mallardgarganeyEurasian cootblack-headed gull

What to know

Lake in detail

  • Only 4.2–4.4 ha in area, yet sources put its maximum depth at anywhere from 3.7 to 6 m; this profile shows the upper published estimate.
  • Hidden in dense forest near the village of Koshary and almost free of direct agricultural pressure.
  • Linked by the historical Mościcki canal to the Western Bug, which carries its outflow; it has no surface canal connection to the other Shatsk lakes.
  • The lake bed is covered with sapropel; the southern, western and northern shores are peaty and boggy, while the eastern and north-eastern ones are raised and sandy.
  • One lake description with scientific names lists channel catfish, crucian carp and gudgeon; an angling guide separately names perch and roach.
  • The channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus is not the same as the brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus; with no modern control survey, the record for Rytets carries moderate confidence.

Rank in the group

#25by area · of 30
#6by depth · of 27
Area against Svitiaz, the largest lake≈0.042 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.

Outflow
Western Bug

The outflow runs through the Mościcki canal; the canal is overgrown but still regulates water.

Geography and access

Places nearby

All places →

village

Koshary

Koshary is a small village at the western edge of the Shatsk community, near the Polish border and Lake Rytets. It is a quiet peripheral part of the lake district subject to border-zone rules.

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: Lorane16CC BY-SA 4.0cropped