GarryP

Does anyone know what fishing potential this massive lake has.
Been interested to hear if anyone has fished there before?

Looking for info on the web just mentions Salmon, trout and Mullet and not much else.

hib

I'm certainly no fisherman but I read somewhere that this lake had been all but fished out and that the water was so low that the salt level had risen as a result and that there was very serious concern over the future sustainability of fish stock.... Don't know anything about it really but that's what I read.....

GarryP

Thanks Hib, that wad what I suspected.
Some reports say there is an abundance of fish ... other reports say it is nearly devoid of fish because of the high salt content.

immac

This is really useful information for all fisherfolk. It is sad to hear about the lake's condition, but it saves a wasted journey. If anyone has similar information, I would love to hear about it on this site. Perhaps we can build a picture of where the fishing is good in this part of Turkey. I am interested in the lakes further inland too, if anyone knows of their condition.

The problem of overfishing is not confined to lakes. Rivers in my area are (so I am told) dynamited to get the fish out.

merlin

Just found this and doesnt look encouraging....



Bafa Lake can be located 25 km from Soke and is surrounded lucious green mountains.

In early times there was a deep bay here called Latmos Bay but alluvial deposits from the River Menderes sealed it off and thus Bafa Lake was created.

With the morning sunrise the various islands on the lake become visible, the largest of which are Ikiz Island, Menet Island and Kahve Asar Island.

Bafa Lake was known as a shelter for monks and birds. Crested pelicans and flamingoes could be seen on the islands and monks from Sinai sought their refuge here in the early times.

The lake used to be important for its marina life but this has now been lost.

In 1987, 328 tonnes of fish were caught, yet just 4 years later this figure had dropped to 14 tonnes. Now the local fisherman are delighted to find even a couple of grey mullet in their fishing nets.

In 1985 the government built a flood barrier but since there has been very little rainfall, the level of the lake has dropped 2m.

Local farmers were irrigating their land with the water but as the level has dropped the salt content increased and therefore can no longer be used.

The Lake is still listed as a bird sanctuary however and in the winter season there can be found 208 different species of birds, 68 of which also breed here.

The most important of the birds that breed here is the Crested Pelican as they are nearing extinction with only 2,000 left in the world today. Bafa Lake contains their largest protected colony.


Merv!

Grapes

hi ive been round the lake on an enduro bike,there are fish,the water is salty,fishermen make a living from it,thats why i photographed at least 200 comoronts on it and yes they were fishing.Two days ago i fished the menderes river which feeds the lake from the sea,i caught some small fish with ragworm.There were many fishermen there and they were fishing for bass,sea bream and kefal.The bass go to 5 or 6 kilos.

Gully Foyle

One big problem is the pollution from the large fish farm in the NW corner of the lake. These days the lake often stinks and once in a while thousands of dead fish are washed up. Pity, it's a beautiful place.

barry budd

was at bafa last month
the only fish that are around are grey mullet and eel's
there are some carp and other fish around ,but trying to find them would be impossible giving the size of the lake.
also you would have to find the sweet water parts ( as the the Turks would call fresh water), Turkey has 85 lakes there must course fish in some of them.

I mentioned to a Turkish business man that with all these lakes,
there is an opportunity to open a fly fishing business,
and with an abundance of trout farms to stock them,
i said that an Englishman would pay £20 - per day to fish these waters
His reply was "why"

i ended the conversation