Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake, Phewa Tal or Fewa Lake is a freshwater lake in Nepal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city; parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. The lake is stream-fed but a dam regulates the water reserve, therefore, the lake is classified as semi-natural freshwater lake. It is the second largest lake in Nepal, the largest in Gandaki Zone followed by Begnas Lake. Phewa lake is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) it covers an area of about 5.23 km2 (2.0 sq mi) with an average depth of about 8.6 m (28 ft) with maximum water depth is 24 m (79 ft). Maximum water capacity of the lake is approximately 4,600,000 cubic metres (3,700 acre·ft). The Annapurna range on the north is only about 28 km (linear distance) away from the lake, and the lake is famous for the reflection of mount Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on its surface. The Barahi Temple is situated on an island in the lake.Phewa lake and water sports is the main tourist attraction of Pokhara city and the north shore of the lake has developed into a tourist district, commonly called Lake-Side, with hotels, restaurants and bars catering to the tourists. The water from Phewa lake's outlet is used to generate electricity. The Phewa Power House is located about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the southern part of the Phewa lake. A part of the lake is also used as commercial caged fisheries.