Lake Peipsi

Lake Peipsi consists of three parts: Lake Peipsi itself, Lake Pskov and Lake Lämmijärv connecting them. Lake Peipsi is the largest border water body in Europe and it is the fourth largest lake in Europe (even without Lake Pskov and Lake Lämmijärv).

The size of the lake is 3555 km², 44% of the lake belongs to the republic of Estonia and 56% to the Russian federation. There are 35 islands in the lake, 5 of them are settled, and the largest settled island is Piirissaar belonging to Estonia. Lake Peipsi is a shallow lake with the average depth of 7,1 m, the maximal depth being 15,3 m. About 200 rivers or rivulets flow into Lake Peipsi, the Emajõgi being the largest. The only river which flows out of Lake Peipsi is the Narva River. Lake Peipsi was formed in the low depression made in the glacial age. The northern and southern shores of Lake Peipsi are very different. The northern shores, for example, Kauksi, are sandy with dunes. The southern shores are covered with forests or they are swampy.

Lake Peipsi is rich in fish; there are 36 fish species – the sepia, the whitefish, the pike, the perch, the pike perch, the bream, the ruff, the roach, the burbot, and the Peipsi lavaret. The following species are less numerous – the tench, the eel, the crucian carp, the bream. The birds on Lake Peipsi are represented in many species, there are more than 100 species of water and swamp fowl (including 40 nesting species). The reads of the shores of Lake Peipsi, Emajõe Suursoo and Piirissaar are suitable nesting places for the fish hawk, the white-tailed eagle, the spotted eagle, the black stork, the swan, the duck-species, the snipe, the black-headed gull, etc. This area belongs to the internationally important bird sanctuaries.