Issyk-KulOne of the world's deepest and largest lakes by volume
A deep, warm lake in the heart of the Tian Shan.
- Surface area
- 6,236 km²
- Water volume
- 1,738 km³
- Max depth
- 668 m
See its true size
One shared area scaleBoth outlines share one area scale. The bars compare water volume.
Reference data: Encyclopædia Britannica: jezioro Bajkał (2024).
Simplified outlines: Natural Earth (public domain), reprojected to one shared scale.
among the 18 lakes in this section
Issyk-Kul holds more than six times as much water as Lake Winnipeg despite having about one quarter of its surface area. Its mean depth is more than 23 times greater.
The map intuition
Its mountain setting and modest outline can suggest a shallow lake with little water.
About the lake
Issyk-Kul lies at 1,607 m in the Tian Shan mountains. Despite the cold mountain setting, its main surface usually stays ice free, which explains a name meaning 'warm lake'. It is brackish and endorheic, with no river flowing out.
Although its 6,236 km² surface is moderate, the lake is exceptionally deep. It reaches 668 m and averages 278 m. That gives it a volume of 1,738 km³ and places it among the world's largest lakes by volume.
- Mean depth
- 278 m
- Surface elevation
- 1,607 m a.s.l.
- Location
- Kyrgyzstan
- Type
- tectonic, endorheic (brackish) lake
Where the lake is
Issyk-Kul: Questions
Its great depth stores a large amount of heat, while mild salinity lowers the freezing point. The main surface therefore usually stays ice free, although shallow bays can freeze.
Its maximum depth is 668 m and its mean depth 278 m. It is one of the world's deepest lakes and the second deepest endorheic lake after the Caspian Sea.
About 1,738 km³ across 6,236 km². The large volume follows from a mean depth of 278 m.
Sources and data year
Outline: Natural Earth, public domain. Simplified and reprojected.