15 of the most beautiful lakes in Pakistan

The northern areas of Pakistan have some the most breathtaking and beautiful landscapes in the world. Along with the picturesque valleys, the region has numerous lakes many which of which are not even known to many people.

Here is a list of fifteen of the most beautiful lakes which you should visit in your lifetime. 

Attabad Lake

Situated in Gojal town of Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan, Attabad Lake was formed in 2010 due a massive landslide blocking the River Hunza. Today, it is visited by thousands of visitors from around the country as well as international tourists.

Saiful Maluk

The lake is located in the northern end of Kaghan Valley. The lake has total surface area of over 2.5 square kilometer. The lake is famous for its fairy tale of Saiful Maluk.

Satpara Lake

Satpara Lake is located in Skardu Valley and is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Pakistan. It supplies water for the town of Skardu.

The beautiful Satpara Lake is located at an altitude of 8,650 feet. The completion of Satpara Dam downstream of the lake has enlarged the size of Satpara Lake.

Sheosar Lake

Sheosar Lake is situated in the Deosai Plateau, which is one of the highest plateaus of the world. The lake is accessible through two routes, Skardu and the Astore district.

The area of Deosai is snow bound between the months of November to May. During spring, the surrounding area is covered with wide variety of flowers and butterflies.

Most visitors come to the lake are in summer between June to early September.

Dudipatsar Lake

Dudipatsar Lake lies in the extreme north of the Kaghan Valley, in Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa t a height of 3,800 metres (12,500 ft).

The word “dudi” means white, “pat” means mountains and “sar” means lake. This name has been given due to the white color of snow on surrounding peaks.

Lulusar Lake

Lulusar Lake is the main source of the Kunhar River and has a baby lake beside it. It is located at an altitude at 3,410m, and is one of the most prominent tourist destination in Kaghan Valley.

The lake has a baby lake beside it and is much larger than other lakes in the Kaghan Valley. It has mirror-like water reflecting the surrounding snow-capped Lulusar mountains, creating a natural tourist attraction.

Lower Kachura Lake

The lake is also known as Shangrila Lake after a resort built on its bank in 1983 and is located at a drive of about 20 minutes from Skardu town.

Shangrila was named after a book titled Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Shangri-la is a Chinese word meaning ‘Heaven on earth’.

Upper Kachura Lake

The lake is in Skardu district is surrounded with wild apricot gardens and has a depth of around 70 meters. Due to rough terrain of the surrounding area, this lake is not well explored.

Chitta Katha Lake

Located in Shounter Valley of Azad Kashmir, Chitta Katha Lake is a beauty at the elevation of 13,500 feet. Chitta Katha literally means White Stream, and it is a name given by locals.

Ratti Gali Lake

The Ratti Gali Lake is an alpine glacial lake which is located in Neelum Valley, Azad Kashmir.

The lake is fed by the surrounding glacier waters of the mountains. The lake is accessible from Dowarian by an unpaved 19 kilometers road cum hiking trek.

Naltar Lake

There are three lakes in Naltar Valley known as Naltar Lakes or Bashkiri Lakes at an altitude ranging from 3050–3150m. The first Bashkiri Lake is located at a distance of 12 kilometers from Upper Naltar.

Rama Lake

Rama Lake is a lake near Astore in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is on the top of the beautiful Astore Valley, with a light cover of oak trees and other greenery. Rama Valley is thickly forested with huge pine, cedar, fir and juniper trees.

Rush Lake

Rush Lake is a high altitude lake located in Nagar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan. It is one of the highest alpine lakes in the world.

The trek to Rush Lake provides spectacular views of Spantik, Malubiting, Miar Peak, Phuparash Peak and Ultar Sar.

Mahodand Lake

Mahodand Lake is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about 40 km from Kalam, Swat Valley.

Mahodand Lake literally means the Lake of Fishes. It is accessible by a four-wheel drive vehicle and is often utilised for fishing and boating.

Ansoo Lake

Ansoo Lake is a high-altitude lake located in the Kaghan Valley in Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It is located at an altitude of 4,126 metres (13,537 ft) near Malika Parbat in the Himalayan range. This lake is considered to be one of the most beautiful lakes of the world.

The name “Ansoo” comes from its tear-like shape. The lake also resembles a human eye with a central ice island resembling the iris and a ridge resembling an eyebrow,

There is no place to stay at Ansoo Lake. Some people may camp on the top of extremely cold and windy mountains but it is very risky and even the locals do not recommend this.