Description of the attraction
The Dospat reservoir is located in the west of the Rhodope, it was formed thanks to a dam in the city of Dospat. Smolyan is located 82 kilometers from the reservoir. The artificial reservoir stretches for almost 19 kilometers towards Syrnitsa.
The Dospat reservoir is one of the highest in Bulgaria, its height above sea level is 1.2 kilometers. Its area is 22 square kilometers, and it is the second largest artificial lake in the country.
The reservoir is fed by the Dospat River, which also flows through Greece. The river has a length of about 100 kilometers, and its basin area is 633 square kilometers. The river sources are located at an altitude exceeding 1.6 km in the Rhodope Mountains.
Initially, the dam that formed the lake was built in order to provide the city of Dospat with electricity. However, today the artificial lake is one of the most visited attractions in the area.
The shores are surrounded by ancient coniferous forests, and the man-made lake is home to all kinds of fish, which makes it a great fishing spot. Here you can catch, for example, trout (rainbow and river), perch, carp and chub.
However, there are not very many opportunities to get to the Dospat reservoir. Four main mountain paths link the man-made reservoir with the rest of the country. One way runs from the city of Batak, the second - from Velingrad to Syrnitsa, the third goes from Devin, and the fourth - from the city of Gotse-Delchev straight to Dospat.
