अAmarnepalNepal Data
Freshwater lake · Gandaki

Rupa Lake

रूपा ताल

A community-managed lake in the Pokhara valley, rich in birds and fish.

Type
Freshwater
Altitude
≈600 m
Surface area
≈1.35 km²
Max depth
≈6 m
District
Kaski
Province
Gandaki

Ramsar wetland of international importance · listed 2016

Rupa is the third-largest lake of the Pokhara valley, lying just east of Begnas at about 600 m on the boundary of Pokhara Metropolitan City and Rupa Rural Municipality. It is a small, shallow, biodiverse lake — surface area about 1.35 km², maximum depth around 6 m and an average near 3 m — fed by streams from a catchment of roughly 30 km² of surrounding hills.

Rupa is best known as a model of community conservation. The Rupa Lake Rehabilitation and Fisheries Cooperative, formed by local farmers, manages the watershed and a cage- and pen-culture fishery, sharing fishing income with upstream communities so that they protect the forests and streams that keep the lake healthy — a widely cited example of payment-for-ecosystem-services in Nepal.

The shallow, weed-fringed water is rich in birdlife: about 36 species of waterbird have been recorded here, roughly a fifth of all the wetland-dependent birds known in Nepal, making it a quiet but rewarding spot for birdwatching away from the crowds of Phewa.

Like its neighbours, Rupa forms part of the Lake Cluster of Pokhara Valley, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance designated on 2 February 2016.

Loading map…

Rupa Lake — outline from OpenStreetMap where mapped.

More lakes to explore

Rara Lake

The largest lake in Nepal — a deep blue jewel inside Rara National Park

Phewa Lake

Pokhara's iconic lake — Nepal's tourism centrepiece, with the Annapurnas mirrored in its water

Shey Phoksundo Lake

Nepal's deepest lake — an otherworldly turquoise in the heart of Dolpo

FAQ

Rupa Lake — frequently asked questions

Where is Rupa Lake located?+

Rupa Lake is in Kaski district, Gandaki Province, Nepal. It is a freshwater lake known for a community-managed lake in the Pokhara valley, rich in birds and fish.

How high is Rupa Lake?+

Rupa Lake sits at an altitude of about 600 m above sea level.

How big is Rupa Lake?+

Rupa Lake has a surface area of approximately 1.35 km² and a maximum depth of about 6 m.

Is Rupa Lake a Ramsar site?+

Yes. Rupa Lake is recognised as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, listed in 2016.

Sources & data note

Area, depth and altitude figures are approximate. The lake outline on the map is the real shape from OpenStreetMap, where mapped.