Lake Skadar, also called Lake Scutari, Lake Shkodra, and Lake Shkodër, is located on the border between Albania and Montenegro. It is the largest lake in Southern Europe. The lake is named after the Albanian city of Shkodër, which is located on its southeastern shore. It is a karst lake, which means it was formed by natural processes in a rocky area.

The part of the lake in Montenegro and the surrounding land are protected as a national park. The part in Albania is protected as a nature reserve and a Ramsar site, which means it is recognized for its important wetland ecosystem.

Geography

Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. Its surface area changes with the seasons, ranging from 370 km² (140 sq mi) to 530 km² (200 sq mi). The lake is located in the western part of the Balkan region, near the border between Montenegro and Albania. Montenegro’s share of the lake is larger than Albania’s. The lake’s water level also changes seasonally, varying between 4.7 and 9.8 meters (15 to 32 feet) above sea level. It stretches from northwest to southeast and is about 44 km (27 miles) long.

The Buna River connects Lake Skadar to the Adriatic Sea, while the Drin River links it to Lake Ohrid. Lake Skadar is a type of depression filled by the Morača River and drained into the Adriatic by the Buna River, which is 41 km (25 miles) long. The Buna River forms part of the international border between Montenegro and Albania. The Morača River provides about 62% of the lake’s water. The total area that drains into the lake is 5,490 km² (2,120 sq mi).

Freshwater sources exist at the lake’s bottom. A key feature of the lake’s water balance is the large amount of water from temporary and permanent karst springs, some of which are located underwater in hidden depressions called okos. The southern and southwestern sides of the lake are rocky and steep, with bays where these underwater springs are found. The northern side has a large flooded area whose boundaries change with water levels.

Small islands, such as Beška, which has two churches, and Grmožur, a former fortress and prison, are located on the southwestern side of the lake.

Lake Skadar has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with dry summers, classified as Csa under the Köppen climate system.

The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surrounding area were made a national park in 1983. The Albanian part is a Managed Nature Reserve. In 1996, the lake was added to the Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance. Near the mouth of Rijeka Crnojevića, 11 meters (36 feet) below the lake’s surface, there is a well-preserved wreck of the steamboat Skanderbeg, sunk by partisans during World War II in 1942.

• View of the lake, Albania
• Western part of the lake near Rijeka Crnojevića, Montenegro
• Horseshoe bend in the northwest corner
• Outflow at Shkodër, Albania
• Fortress Grmožur in Lake Skadar, Montenegro
• Lake Skadar, Montenegro
• Dalmatian Pelican at Lake Skadar

Geology

Lake Skadar is likely an ancient lake, though it is relatively young compared to other ancient lakes. Most scientists agree that the basin of Lake Skadar was formed by tectonic activity, resulting from complex folding and faulting in the northeastern part of the Old Montenegro anticlinorium (High Karst Zone). These geological movements occurred during the Cenozoic period. The lake basin formed when blocks of land sank during the Neogene or Paleogene periods. During the Miocene and Pliocene periods, marine conditions existed in the Zeta Plain, which sank early in the upper Miocene. During the Pliocene, the sea flooded this plain as far as Podgorica. Radoman (1985) noted that the sea likely eliminated all freshwater life in the plain and Lake Skadar area. The connection between Lake Skadar and the sea ended during the younger Pliocene. The origin of the lake’s water is important to biologists because these waters may have introduced the lake’s first species and contributed to its current high level of unique species found only there.

Fauna

Lake Skadar is a well-known area with a lot of freshwater biodiversity. It has many different types of mollusks.

Lake Skadar is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe. It is home to 270 bird species, including some of the last pelicans in Europe. This makes it a popular place for birdwatchers. The lake also has habitats for seagulls and herons. BirdLife International has recognized it as an Important Bird Area (IBA).

The lake is rich in fish, especially carp, bleak, and eel. Of the 34 native fish species in the lake, 7 are found only in Lake Skadar.

About 31% of freshwater snails (12 out of 39 species studied in the lake) are found only in Lake Skadar. In the entire Lake Skadar basin, 38% (19 species) of freshwater gastropods appear to be endemic. Scientists have reliably recorded 50 species of freshwater snails in the Lake Skadar basin. The index of freshwater gastropod endemism is 0.478. This high value means Lake Skadar has more endemic species than Lake Malawi and Lake Titicaca. The lake is home to five species of Bithynia and is an important area for the evolution of these snails.

There are 17 amphipod species in the Lake Skadar watershed. Ten of these are found only in the area, mainly in underground habitats.

Many endemic species in the Lake Skadar system have a small range, making them vulnerable. This is especially concerning because of increasing human activity, such as eutrophication, water pollution, and sand and gravel mining in the lake and its basin. Studies of phytoplankton and chlorophyll levels show the lake has a moderate level of pollution from organic compounds. Human activities have had the greatest impact on sublacustrine springs, where eutrophication and water use (such as at the Karuč spring) are major threats.

The 2011 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species includes 21 endemic species from the Lake Skadar basin.