Lakes of Himachal: Where the Mountains Keep Their Water

Some of the best days in the Himalaya end at the water's edge: a turquoise bowl below a pass, a sacred tarn ringed with prayer flags, a reservoir glowing in the evening haze. This guide to the lakes of Himachal Pradesh brings 31 of them together in one place, from Suraj Tal just below Baralacha La to Renuka Lake in the Sirmaur foothills. For each one we list roughly how high it sits, whether you can drive to it or have to walk, where you start from and when it's usually reachable.

We've grouped the lakes by area: Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur; Kullu and Manali; Mandi and the Barot side; Kangra and Chamba; and Shimla, Sirmaur and Bilaspur. Where a TrailX route actually reaches a lake, we link it, so you can open the map, check the elevation profile and judge the climb before you go. The interactive map above shows every lake we could place reliably; tap a pin for the details.

How to read this guide

A few ground rules before the tables.

• Altitudes are approximate. We use the figures published for each lake and round them. Where sources disagree, we show a range rather than pick one (Chandra Taal, for example, is given as anything from 4,250 to 4,300 m). If we couldn't find a reliable figure, you'll see a dash.
• "Drive-up" means a road gets you to the shore, or within about a kilometre's walk of it. "Trek" means the last stretch is on foot only; we say roughly how long in the write-ups where a source gives it. "Restricted" would mark lakes that need special permits; none of the lakes here is closed to ordinary visitors, but some sit in permit areas, which we note.
• Seasons are typical, not promises. High lakes in Himachal are frozen or snowbound for half the year, and road openings shift with every winter.
• TrailX routes are matched by GPS. We only list a route against a lake if its recorded track comes within 500 m of the shoreline (or within 700 m of the lake's point when we don't have an outline, 1.5 km for big reservoirs). A dash means we don't have a route that reaches it yet.

Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur: high lakes of the rain shadow

This is the cold desert side of Himachal, beyond the Pir Panjal, where the lakes sit in bare, sculpted valleys and open only once the high passes clear. The Himachal Pradesh destination page and the Himachal off-road routes are good starting points for planning a drive here.

Suraj Tal (≈4,883 m), also called Tso Kamtsi or Surya Tal, is one of the highest lakes in India and lies just below Baralacha La on the Leh–Manali Highway. Glaciers and streams from the pass feed it, and the Bhaga river runs through it on its way down to Keylong, about 65 km away. The road skirts the shore, so it's an easy stop if you're driving, but the highway is snowbound from roughly November to April. Two long TrailX expeditions pass it: the Hanges Boots Ladakh Circuit, a Hard off-road tour of 2,445.1 km with 23,313 m of ascent, and The great Ladakh Expedition, 2,105.8 km off-road with 25,697 m of ascent, also rated Hard.

Chandra Taal (≈4,250–4,300 m), the "moon lake", is named for its crescent shape. It sits on the Samudra Tapu plateau above the Chandra river, inside the Chandratal Wildlife Sanctuary, and it's a Ramsar-listed wetland. A 12 km side road leaves NH-505 near Batal and ends at a car park about a kilometre from the shore; the rest is a short walk. You can also hike in from Kunzum Pass in around two hours. The road is usually open from late May to early October.

Dhankar Lake (≈4,140 m) sits above the cliff-top Dhankar monastery in the Spiti valley and is reached by a steep walk up from the monastery. Combine it with a visit to the monastery and treat it as an acclimatisation hike before going higher.

Nako Lake (≈3,662 m) is right on the edge of Nako village in Kinnaur's Pooh subdivision: about 500 m long and fringed with willows and poplars, with Buddhist temples close by. It's a natural overnight stop between Kinnaur and Spiti. The long on-road Pin Bhabha pass trek route on TrailX (487.9 km, 9,942 m of ascent, Moderate) passes the lake. This is a border region, so foreign visitors may need a protected-area permit; check before you travel.

Deepak Tal is a small roadside lake on the Leh–Manali Highway near Patseo, mapped in OpenStreetMap as Dozam Tso. We couldn't find a reliable altitude for it, but both of the Ladakh expeditions above drive right past it.

Kullu and Manali: glacial lakes above the valley

The Kullu valley's lakes are mostly trekking objectives: short, steep climbs from Manali and the Rohtang road to snow-fed tarns, and longer walks to the sources of the Beas and Parvati rivers. Browse Himachal hiking trails for routes in the area.

Bhrigu Lake (≈4,235–4,300 m) is the classic short high-altitude trek from Manali. It lies east of Rohtang Pass, about 6 km from Gulaba village, and can also be reached from the Vashisht side. The lake is named after the sage Bhrigu, who is said to have meditated here, and it's held sacred. Expect snow on the shore early in the season.

Dashair Lake (≈4,270 m), also known as Sarkund, sits near Rohtang Pass on the divide between Kullu and Lahaul. It's a small, high tarn reached on foot from the pass area, and like everything up here it's only snow-free in summer.

Serolsar Lake (≈3,100 m), also spelled Seruvalsar or Sirolsar, is a forest lake in the Seraj valley reached on foot from Jalori Pass. A small temple to Buddhi Nagin, the mother of the region's serpent deities, overlooks it from the north side, and locals say the water has healing properties. It's one of the gentler lake walks in Himachal, possible whenever the Jalori road is open.

Beas Kund is the source lake of the Beas river, below the peaks above Solang. Legend credits the sage Vyasa, the river's namesake, with creating it. It's reached on foot from Solang and Dhundi, and it makes a high camp for trekkers rather than a quick day out.

Mantalai Lake lies near the source of the Parvati river at the head of the Parvati valley, on the route to Pin Parvati Pass. Reaching it is a multi-day trek. The TrailX Pin Bhaba pass trek (98.6 km, 4,264 m of ascent, Extreme) passes Mantalai on its way over Pin Parvati Pass to the Pin valley.

The higher the lake, the shorter its season. A trail that's an easy summer walk in August can be buried under avalanche debris in May, so check recent reports before you set out.

Mandi and the Barot side: temple lakes and sacred tarns

Mandi district mixes easy, much-visited temple lakes with a couple of genuine high-altitude objectives on the Dhauladhar side of the Barot valley. It's the most accessible lake country in Himachal, and most of it is reachable year-round.

Prashar Lake (≈2,730 m) is the best-known lake in Mandi: a small, deep-blue lake with a three-tiered, pagoda-style temple to the sage Parashar on its bank. Its floating island of matted plants drifts around the lake. A road climbs about 49 km from either Mandi or Bajaura in the Kullu valley to a point just short of the shore. Snow is common in winter.

Kamrunag Lake (≈3,334 m) is a sacred lake tied to a Mahabharata story about Barbarika, whose body is said to be worshipped here as Kamru. The usual walk is about 6 km from Rohanda, steep and taking three to four hours, and a two-to-three-hour route via Chail Chowk from the Mandi side. The lake and its forests were announced as a Biodiversity Heritage Site in 2020.

Rewalsar Lake (≈1,360 m), known to Tibetans as Tso Pema, is sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists alike. It's linked with Padmasambhava and Mandarava, and there's a giant statue of Padmasambhava, Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples around its shore. Above the town lies another holy lake, Kunt Bhyog, at about 1,750 m.

Dehnasar Lake (≈4,280 m) sits beneath rocky ridges in the Dhauladhar, administratively in Kangra district but easier to approach from the Mandi and Kullu side. It's a pilgrimage lake: people gather for a holy bath on the 20th of Bhadrapada, usually the last week of August or first week of September. The trail is open only in the short summer window, from about June to September.

Macchial Lake (≈850 m) is a small sacred lake 8 km south of Jogindernagar, named after Machinder Nath and known for the golden mahseer fish that visitors feed. Pandoh Lake is the reservoir behind Pandoh Dam on the Beas, which you'll drive alongside on the main highway between Mandi and Kullu.

Kangra and Chamba: Dhauladhar lakes and pilgrim routes

The Dhauladhar range above Dharamshala hides a string of sacred high lakes, and across the ridge in Chamba sits Manimahesh, the state's best-known pilgrimage lake. Down in the valleys you'll find meadow lakes and two big reservoirs.

Manimahesh Lake (≈4,080–4,190 m) lies at the foot of Manimahesh Kailash in the Bharmour area of Chamba, and its religious significance is often compared with Lake Manasarovar's. Every August or September, during the Manimahesh Yatra, pilgrims walk up in large numbers; the state treats it as a state-level pilgrimage. The main route starts at Hadsar and has basic food and shelter in the yatra season; a quieter route comes up from Holi.

Kareri Lake (≈2,934 m) is a shallow, clear, snow-fed lake on a southern spur of the Dhauladhar, about 9 km north-west of Dharamshala. The trek from Kareri village is about 13 km, moderate to tough, through mixed forest and then grassland. A Shiva temple stands on a hilltop above the water, and the lake is frozen from early December to March or April. It's also the base for the Dhauladhar Seven Lake Trek, which links Kareri with Nag Dal, Lam Dal and other sacred lakes over passes such as Minkiani and Indrahar.

Lam Dal (≈3,960 m), about 45 km from Chamba town, is sacred to Shiva, with a pilgrimage in July or August. It's a moderate-to-advanced trek, either from Kareri Lake over Minkiani Pass or from McLeod Ganj via Triund. Nag Dal, another of the seven lakes, sits on the same circuit.

Mahakali Lake (≈4,080 m) and Gadasaru Lake (≈3,470 m) are two sacred lakes in the Churah area of northern Chamba. Gadasaru, near Devikothi village, has a small Kali temple and a shoreline of about a kilometre; Mahakali is higher and stays frozen for about six months, from November to April.

Khajjiar Lake (≈1,900–1,951 m) is the small lake in the middle of the famous Khajjiar meadow, 16 km from Dalhousie and 25 km from Chamba, ringed by deodar forest. It takes its name from the Khajji Nag temple nearby. The lake has shrunk a lot over the years, so come for the meadow as much as the water.

Dal Lake (≈1,775 m), not to be confused with Srinagar's, is a small green lake near Tota Rani and Naddi above McLeod Ganj, with a Shiva shrine on its bank. A short drive or an easy stroll from McLeod Ganj gets you there.

Chamera Lake (≈763 m) is the reservoir behind Chamera Dam on the Ravi, mostly in the Salooni area of Chamba. The Padri Pass Trail, a Hard off-road route of 342.1 km with 4,734 m of ascent that runs from Chamba towards Doda, passes the dam. Maharana Pratap Sagar, the Pong Dam reservoir in Kangra, is a Ramsar wetland and wildlife sanctuary; in winter its shores fill with migratory birds, with more than 220 bird species recorded.

Shimla, Sirmaur and Bilaspur: sources, sanctuaries and reservoirs

The southern and eastern districts have Himachal's largest natural lake, its biggest reservoir and one remote high lake at the source of the Pabbar.

Chander Nahan (≈4,260 m) is a snow-bound high lake in Rohru tehsil of Shimla district and the source of the Pabbar river. It's a trekking destination only, with snow lingering around it well into summer. Our map pin is approximate.

Renuka Lake (≈672 m) in Sirmaur is often described as the largest lake in Himachal Pradesh, with a shoreline of about 3.2 km. It's named after the goddess Renuka, sits within a wildlife sanctuary and has been a Ramsar site since 2005. The five-day Renuka fair begins on Prabodhini Ekadashi in November.

Gobind Sagar is the long reservoir behind the Bhakra Dam on the Sutlej, stretching through Bilaspur and Una districts and named after Guru Gobind Singh. Water sports run roughly from August to January, when water levels are high. Tani Jubbar is a small lake near Narkanda, and Shree Rukmani Kund is a sacred reservoir in the Sivalik hills near Auhar, reached by a short unpaved road.

Permits and access

Most of the lakes of Himachal need no paperwork at all, but a few rules are worth knowing. These change often, so treat this as a starting point and check current rules locally.

• Border areas. Upper Kinnaur and parts of Spiti are close to the international border. Foreign visitors in particular may need a protected-area or inner-line permit for stretches such as Nako; Indian visitors usually don't, but rules change.
• Rohtang and the Manali side. Vehicles going towards Rohtang Pass have needed permits in recent years. Check the current system before planning a drive to the Bhrigu or Dashair trailheads.
• Sanctuaries and wetlands. Chandra Taal, Renuka and Pong are protected areas. Camping, fires and vehicles may be restricted near the shore; follow the signs and use the official campsites.
• Pilgrimage seasons. Manimahesh, Dehnasar, Lam Dal and Kamrunag fill with pilgrims at festival times. Expect crowds, and check whether registration is needed during the yatra.

Staying safe at high lakes

Altitude, cold water and fast-changing weather are the real risks, not the distance. Our guide to crossing Himalayan mountain passes covers the high-altitude basics in more detail, but the essentials are simple.

1. Acclimatise first. Suraj Tal and Chandra Taal are above 4,200 m, and you can drive to both in a day. Spend nights at Keylong, Kaza or another intermediate stop before sleeping near the shore.
2. Read the profile. Short lake treks such as Bhrigu or Kamrunag pack a lot of climbing into a few kilometres. Reading the elevation profile tells you more than the distance does.
3. Respect the water. Glacial lakes are near freezing even in August, and banks of snow and ice can collapse. Don't swim, and stay off frozen surfaces.
4. Start early. Afternoon cloud, wind and snow are common at height. Turn back if the weather changes.
5. Treat sacred lakes as sacred. Many of these lakes are places of worship. Don't bathe, wash or leave anything behind unless local custom invites it.
6. Take the map offline. There's little or no signal at most high lakes. Download the GPX for your route and save regional maps in the TrailX app before you leave town.

For general preparation, see our safety guidelines and gear checklist. If you're planning your own route to a lake, the Route Composer lets you sketch it and check its elevation profile before you go.

Sources

We checked every lake against published sources and left a dash wherever we couldn't confirm a figure.

• Wikipedia articles for the individual lakes, especially the List of lakes of Himachal Pradesh, Chandra Taal, Suraj Tal and Kareri Lake. Our full list of per-lake sources sits alongside this guide.
• OpenStreetMap (via Nominatim) for lake outlines and coordinates.
• TrailX GPS tracks, compared point by point against each lake's shoreline.

Where to next?

• Mountain passes in India: a guide to the Himalayan passes
• Himachal Pradesh hiking trails
• Himachal Pradesh off-road routes
• Explore Himachal Pradesh on TrailX
• Crossing Himalayan mountain passes: do's and don'ts
• Get the TrailX app for offline maps