Lake Selmęt Wielki

Selmęt Wielki is one of the largest lakes in the Ełk Lake District in Masuria, north-eastern Poland: it covers about 1,269 ha and is 11.6 km long and up to 3.5 km wide. The Lega river flows through it, so kayakers cross the lake from north to south-east, while anglers can find ten species of fish here.

The lake in numbers

The deepest point reaches about 22 m, but the average depth is only 8 m. The water surface lies 120.7 m above sea level. There are two islands, the larger of about 3 ha. The name has a long history: documents record it as Salmant (1475), Schelmund (1595) and, before World War II, as Grosser Sellment See. The official Polish form is Selmęt Wielki, though you will also see Selment or Szelment.

The Lega river and neighbouring lakes

The Lega enters the lake from the north at Sędki and leaves it in the south-east at Makosieje, flowing on towards Lake Rajgród — a kayaking trail follows this route. The small Golubica stream flows in from Lake Golubskie to the north, a stream from Selmęt Mały joins from the west near Mrozy Wielkie, and in the south-west the lake connects with Lake Mrozy.

Shores and fish

The shores are mostly low and in places marshy, wooded on the north-west side. They are surrounded by villages, fields and meadows, with only small patches of pine and spruce forest. A narrow strip of alder and willow lines the water, with wide reed beds in places and plenty of small fishing jetties. Fish species include zander, pike, perch, bream, tench, roach, rudd, silver bream, crucian carp and eel. The lake is managed by the Gospodarstwo Jeziorowe fisheries company in Ełk, which also sells fishing permits online.

Tripto tip

A road runs close to the water along both the eastern and western shores, so the easiest way to explore is to drive or cycle around the lake and stop wherever the shore is accessible. Beaches, rentals and car parks belong to individual villages rather than to the lake as a whole — pick a specific shore before you set out. The nearest town is Ełk, with the ruins of a Teutonic castle, a good base for accommodation and shopping.