Lake Hornavan: The Deepest Lake in Sweden
Lake Hornavan is located in the Northern part of Sweden, in the Arjeplog Municipality in the province of Swedish Lapland, which is administratively known as Norbotten County. It is the deepest lake in Sweden with a maximum depth of 221 meters. It is the third largest lake in the country in volume and the 9th largest in surface area.
Lake Hornavan Stats
| Lake Name | Lake Hornavan |
| Country | Sweden |
| Surface area | 224.590 |
| Maximum depth | 221.0 |
| Average depth | 26.0 |
| Lake type | Natural |
| Catchment area | 3491.40 |
| Altitude | 410.0 |
| Volume | 5.842 |
| Islands | 400 islets |
| Shore length | 300.75 |
| Settlements | Arjeplog, Jäckvik |
| Residence time | 1095.3 |
| Average discharge | 61.732 |
Geography
The lake’s waters are surrounded by soft Scandinavian mountain ranges, with dense forests were bears, moose, caribou and egrets reside. Hornavan stretches 70 kilometers to the northwest, towards the town of Jackvick. The locality of Arjeplog is located on its southwestern shore. The lake’s water catchment area consist mainly of forests (53%).
The lake is home to more than 400 islets, most of them having unique flora and fauna. Because of this richness in ecology, the region has heavily researched. Most of these examinations focus on the smaller islets, since scientists proclaim that they are less polluted, providing richer results.
Hydrology
The lake’s exact surface area has often been a subject of discussion, ranging between 220 and 283 km2. Lately scientists affirm that is surface is constant at 251 km2. In the south, Hornavan attaches to another lake called Uddjaure and it drains by the Skelleftea River. The lake is cultivated for water power. In the Arjeplog Municipality all the lakes have clean, drinkable waters.
Tourism and Recreation
Lake Hornavan is home to 5 different kinds of whitefish, with a 6th one being introduced in the 1940s. The most popular fish catches are usually trouts, best caught trolling. Pike, perch, harr and selar are other fish frequently found in the lake.