Being situated in the Wielkopolskie Lake District means that within the city limits of Poznań there is a dense network of rivers, apart from large natural lakes and numerous post - glacial hollows filled with water. There are also some 150 man - made reservoirs, which embellish the recreational areas, the biggest two being Malta and Rusałka. Apart from them, two other lakes are especially significant from ecological, recreational and economic point of view: Kierskie and Strzeszyńskie.
Kierskie Lake is largest natural lake within the limits of Poznań. Its total area is 285 ha. The lake's average depth is 10.1 m, but there are places where it can reach 37.6 m. The shore, which is over 12 km long, provides excellent conditions for tourism and recreation. In the deciduous woods on the eastern shore of the lake there are hiking trails that cross the west greenery wedge leading all the way to Sołacki Park.
The lake is used throughout the year by anglers, whose most likely catch here is the vendace, but it also includes eel, zander, pike, perch, grass carp, carp and bream. You can fish from the shore and from a boat. Stocking fish for anglers is introduced every year into the lake by the Polish Angling Association.
The lake has two bathing areas with lifeguards (one in Krzyżowniki and the other one in Kiekrz), as well as many recreation facilities and training centres. There are many sailing and ice sailing clubs on the lake's shore and marinas are a common sight around the lake.
Malta Lake: an artificial lake created in 1952 after damming the waters of the Cybina River. The dike is situated near the westernmost tip of the lake, by the Śródka roundabout. The lake is a well - known regatta course; there is a sports and recreational complex, which was built on its shore in the early 1990's. The district near the western edge of the north shore is called Komandoria.
The lake has an area of 64 hectares and its maximum depth is 5 metres (within the regatta course it is 3.7 metres.) In the years 1980-1990 the water was drained and the reservoir regenerated. That was when the modern two - kilometre regatta course was created. It has since then been the stage of the most prestigious canoeing and rowing events, such as the Canoeing European Championships in 2001 and the Canoeing World Cup in 2002. It is equipped with a starting islet, a grandstand with the umpire tower, a big electronic display and boathouses.
Rusałka Lake is an artificial reservoir created in 1943 by damming the water of the Bogdanka River. It is situated in the western greenery wedge, in Golęcin. Its surface is 36.7 ha, its average depth - 1.9 m, maximum depth - 9.0 m. The shoreline has a total length of 3300 m.
The Polish Anglers Association allows general access to Rusałka Lake, but due to its location nighttime angling and spinner fishing are forbidden. Its mainstay is the zander, but its fish fauna includes carp, eel, bream, tench, grass carp, pike, roach and many other species.
Its proximity to the city centre and the attractive grounds that surround it make the lake a popular place for summer recreation among inhabitants of Poznań and tourists alike. There is a Sports and Recreation Centre by the lake, which is open in the summer and oversees the running of the beach with lifeguards. The beach has quays, a 93 - meter water slide, rental facilities for water sports, changing rooms and food facilities. The centre can receive around 10,000 visitors.
(Information taken from "Poznań Natural Environment", published by the Environment Faculty of Adam Mickiewicz University.)
Strzeszyńskie Lake is a natural body of water situated roughly 10 km from the centre of Poznań. It has an area of 34.9 ha. Its average depth is 8.2 m, reaching 17.8 m at its deepest point. The shoreline has 4.5 km and the deciduous woods and pinewoods growing along it are used mostly for recreational purposes.
The Polish Anglers Association in Poznań ensures that the lake has optimal conditions for fishing through stocking fish and stock curbing. The lake's mainstay is the vandace, but many other fish can be found here, such as carp, eel, bream, tench, pike, bullhead, bleak, roach, perch, whitefish, crucian carp and bream.
In the summer Strzeszyńskie Lake is a very popular destination. There is a recreational complex by the lake with beach facilities for 10,000 people, a motel and a restaurant open all year round. Apart from that, accommodation includes bungalows and a campsite for around 150 people.
Strzeszyńskie Lake is the cleanest lake in the Poznań area.
(Information taken from "Poznań Natural Environment", published by the Environment Faculty of Adam Mickiewicz University.)