Lake Ohrid is the largest tectonic lake in Macedonia, which is 4 million years old. It covers a surface of 348.8km2.Two-thirds of the lake belong to Macedonia and one-third to Albania. The lake is oval shaped and its longest part stretches from St. Naum to Struga, a distance of 30.35km. The widest part is between Pestani and Peshkope (Albania), which is 14.5km, and it is 287m deep. It is the deepest lake in the Balkans and among the deepest in the world. The lake is supposedly filled with water from Lake Prespa through underground channels. The water temperature changes depending on the season, so in August it may warm up to 26C degrees and it never freezes, no matter how cold it becomes.

The Water of Lake Ohrid is among the clearest and purest in Europe. In July its transparency goes as deep as 21.5m.

Due to the geographic isolation and favorable hydrographic conditions, more than 200 endemic species exist in the lake, some of which are “live fossils,” almost unchanged since the tertiary period. Lake Ohrid is most famous for its trout and belvica. Ohrid and its surrounding area is a home to many bird species, some of which are put on the Corine List.

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