Ohrid, Lake

Ohrid, Lake, Albanian Ohrit, deepest lake of the Balkans, c.130 sq mi (340 sq km), on the Macedonian-Albanian border. It is connected with Lake Prespa by underground channels and is drained to the north by the Black Drin River. On its shores stand several monasteries, notably that of St. Naum (10th cent.).

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Ohrid, Lake 

(Ohridsko jezero, Ligeni i Ohrit), a lake in Yugoslavia and Albania, lying in an intermontane tectonic depression at an elevation of 695 m. It covers an area of 348 sq km and has a maximum depth of 285 m.

The lake’s eastern and western shores are steep and precipitous, and its northern and southern coasts are flat. Lake Ohrid is linked by an underground channel (karst hollows) with Lake Prespa, which is located at a higher elevation and drains partially into Lake Ohrid. The Black Drin River, which empties into the Adriatic Sea, flows out of Lake Ohrid. The lake’s water level rises during spring and autumn. The water is unusually clear and has a summer temperature ranging from 18° to 24°C. The lake is important for fishing (carp, trout, and eels) and boating. The principal cities along the lake are Ohrid (Yugoslavia) on the northeastern shore and Pogradec (Albania) on the southern shore.