Lake Łubówko near Drezdenko

Lake Łubówko lies in the forests of the Drawa Forest (Puszcza Drawska), in the Drezdenko municipality, about 1.5 km west of the village of Zagórze. It covers just 15.38 ha but is up to 18.2 m deep, and its very clear water gives it a turquoise colour. Since 1991 the lake and the surrounding beech woods have been protected as a nature reserve.

The Lake Łubówko Reserve

The reserve was created by ministerial order on 8 July 1991. After a boundary change on 22 November 2022 it covers 78.55 ha: the lake accounts for 15.38 ha, the rest is forest within the Zagórze range of the Smolarz Forest District. The aim is to protect the moraine landscape and natural Pomeranian beech forest, as well as the natural processes in the lake and the surrounding stands. The lake is also known as Radowskie or Lubiewko, and in German as Klein Lubow See.

Where the colour comes from

The lake fills a deep glacial basin, so the bottom drops steeply close to the shore. The average depth exceeds 10 m, and the deepest point lies in the south-eastern part. The bed is mostly sandy; in the south-east it turns sandy and stony, with scattered glacial boulders up to 70 cm across. It is a mesotrophic lake with features of calcareous oligotrophy – the depth and clarity of the water create the turquoise surface.

Beech forest around the water

Beech makes up about 47.5% of the reserve's trees and Scots pine about 32.6%, accompanied by hornbeam and oak, and less often alder, birch and larch. In the northern part of the lake there are narrow strips of silt with marsh vegetation, while the southern shore is almost bare. In autumn, when the beeches turn russet, the contrast with the turquoise water is at its strongest.

Tripto tips

This is a protected area: stay on roads and paths, do not climb down the steep banks to the water and do not damage the vegetation. Rules for fishing and swimming depend on the reserve regulations and the water's managers – check them before you go. The nearest village is Zagórze, about 1.5 km from the lake. Allow 1–2 hours for a walk around the area; after rain the forest tracks can be soft.