Overview
Þingvallavatn, anglicised as Thingvallavatn, is a rift valley lake in southwestern Iceland. With a surface of 84 km² it is the largest natural lake in Iceland. Its greatest depth is 114 m.
Description
Lake Thingvallavatn is the largest lake in Iceland, located only 40 minutes from Reykjavík. Thingvellir, where the Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, was established around the year 930, is a place of historic significance. The lake lies along the North Atlantic Ridge, sitting where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates separate from each other. Thingvallavatn is 83 square kilometers (32 square miles) and is deepest at 115 meters (377 feet). The lake's catchments area is 90% underground and the water from thousands of cold springs has a constant year-round temperature of 3-4°C . The spring water is filtered through layers of the surrounding lava making Thingvallavatn gin-clear and easy to spot fish. Three out of the five species of freshwater fish found in Iceland live in Thingvallavatn; Brown Trout, Arctic char and the Three-spined Stickleback.
Thingvellir, Reykjavik
Iceland
URL:
http://www.wherewisemenfish.com/holidays/lake-thingvallavatn/s53557/