| Satsar Lake | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Satsar Lake | |
| Location | Ganderbal,Jammu and KashmirIndia |
| Coordinates | 34°27′42″N74°59′53″E / 34.461709°N 74.997935°E /34.461709; 74.997935 |
| Lake type | alpine lakes |
| Primary inflows | Melting of glaciers |
| Primary outflows | A stream which flows underground |
| Max. length | 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) (from 1st to 7th) |
| Max. width | 0.9 kilometres (0.56 mi) (width of the valley) |
| Surface area | 4 km2 (1.5 sq mi) (total area) |
| Surface elevation | 3,610 metres (11,840 ft) |
TheSatsar Lake ,Sat Sar orSath Sar (lit. 'seven lakes') consists of a group of seven smallalpine lakes situated inGanderbal district of theKashmir Valley inJammu and Kashmir, India.[1]
The lakes are situated in a narrow alpine valley stretching from north to south and spread over 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) distance with a width of 1 kilometre (0.62 mi). It also serves a natural mountain pass betweenTulail Valley andSind Valley.[2] The lakes ofGangabal andNundkol lie on the opposite side of Zajibal pass (4,041 metres (13,258 ft)). The Satsar Lakes are surrounded by lush green meadows which are home to shepherds during summer and serve as a camping site for tourists.Naranag is the nearest settlement and serves as the base camp for trekking to the lake in the summer.[3][4]
The Satsar Lake is mainly fed by melting snow. During the late summer and autumn, two or three lakes usually dry up, depending upon the precipitation. These lakes give rise to a stream which disappears and flows underground, from the sideby glacier a stream originates and flows down southwards and falls into Wangath Nallah through Churnar which is the major right tributary of theSind River.[5]
During the winter, the Satsar Lakes are covered by heavy snow. The basin of the lake is surrounded by a sheet of alpine flowers in the summer; thegeum,blue poppy,potentilla andgentian are relatively common.Hedysarum flowers are found in late spring throughout the area around the lake.[6]
All seven lakes are stocked with trout, mainlybrown trout. Licensed anglers are permitted to fish in the lakes, although permission has to be obtained fromSrinagar in advance.[7]
The Satsar Lakes are accessible only during the summer; during the winter, the treks are closed because of the heavy snowfall. Satsar can be reached fromSrinagar, via a 65 km motorable road which leads through Ganderbal andWayil to the Naranag trekking camp. The alpine meadows of Trunakhul and Badpathri and the lakes of Nundkol and Gangabal lie along the route. An alternate trek starts from Chattergul village, 10 km to the west of Naranag, which leads through the meadows of Mahlish. The lake can also be accessed throughBandipora and the six-day trekking starting point is Arin. It can also be accessed throughGurais viaTulail. Tourists prefer to take the Naranag trek and return viaGadsar Lake,Vishansar Lake andSonamarg or vice versa to cover most alpine lakes of the area.[1][4][8]
