Water Routes on Lake Inarijärvi

Northern Lapland
Inari (inari.fi)
Lake Inarijärvi – Natura site, Vätsäri Wilderness Area

Lake Inarijärvi (Aanaarjävri in Inari Sámi) is a lake in northern Lapland that was formed as a result of tectonic subsidence in the Earth's crust. When talking about Lake Inarijärvi, the locals refer to it simply by the name "Järvi" ("Lake"). "Have you been to the lake?" is the usual question asked when the locals meet. Although there are hundreds of lakes in Inari, everybody knows which lake the speaker means. Lake Inarijärvi is far superior to the other lakes.

You may take day trips on the lake but if you have the time and the inclination, you can spend the whole of the summer there and still not uncover all of its destinations. Canoeing on Lake Inarijärvi provides objects of interest for bird and fishing enthusiasts, for example. The area of Lake Inarijärvi is 1,084 square kilometres and it is the third largest lake in Finland.

The waters of Lake Inarijärvi run, via the River Paatsjoki, into the Varangerfjord on the Barents Sea. When the waters are not frozen, the lake's surface is about 119 metres above sea level. The lake is regulated by the Kaitakoski hydroelectric power plant that is located on the River Paatsjoki on the Russian side of the border. The lake's level is lowest in early May when the lake is still frozen; its surface is about 1.5 metres lower than in summer. When the ice melts in May-June, the lake's level rises rapidly to its summer height. Consequently, boaters do not necessarily notice the change.

This is the web page www.nationalparks.fi/inarijarvi