Lake · Russia
Lake Taymyr
Lake Taymyr lies on the Taymyr Peninsula in the far north of Siberia, in Russia, far beyond the Arctic Circle. For most of the year it is hidden under a thick layer of ice.
Where is Lake Taymyr?
Countries on its shores: Russia.
Middle of the lake: 74.54° N, 101.64° E
The story behind it
Lake Taymyr lies almost 900 km north of the Arctic Circle, at the foot of the Byrranga Mountains. From the end of September until June, ice 2 to 3 m thick covers the lake, and it is free of ice for only about 73 days a year. Even in August the water stays cold, at around 7 °C. The lake is very shallow, on average less than 3 m deep, so its size changes a lot: when the water is low, it can shrink from about 4 560 km² to only about 1 200 km². Around 20 kinds of fish live in it, including whitefish and char. Red-breasted geese and other geese nest on its islands. No towns or villages lie on its shores. The water flows north through the Lower Taymyra River into the Kara Sea.
Find it on the globe
Lake Taymyr is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.
Questions children ask
How big is Lake Taymyr?
Lake Taymyr covers about 4 560 km² and is about 200 km long. When the water level drops, the lake can shrink to only about 1 200 km².
How long is Lake Taymyr frozen?
Ice covers the lake from the end of September until June, and it can be 2 to 3 m thick. Only about 73 days a year is the lake free of ice.
Is Lake Taymyr one of Russia's biggest lakes?
Yes. In the Asian part of Russia, only Lake Baikal is bigger, so Lake Taymyr is the second-largest lake there.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
Last checked: