Lake Scutari

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Lake Scutari

Coordinates	42°9′59″N, 19°19′33″ECoordinates: 42°9′59″N, 19°19′33″E
Primary inflows	Morača River
Primary outflows	Bojana River
Basin countries	Albania, Montenegro
Max. length	48 km (30 mi)
Max. width	14 km (9 mi)
Surface area	370 km² – 530 km²
Max. depth	44 m (144 ft)
Surface elevation	6 m (20 ft)

Lake Scutari (Albanian: Liqeni i Shkodrës, Serbian: Скадарско језеро/Skadarsko jezero), also called Lake Skadar, is a lake on the border of Montenegro with Albania, the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra in northern Albania (Shkodër in Albanian, Scutari in Italian and Скадар/Skadar in Serbian). The origin of the name comes from the Greek "Skoutari".

The Skadar Lake.View from north-west hills (Ceklin, Montenegro)

Its surface, 6 m (20 ft) above sea level, can vary between 370 km² (142.9 sq mi) and 530 km² (204.6 sq mi), of which 2/3 is in Montenegro. The lake is a cryptodepression, filled by the Morača River and drained into the Adriatic by the 41 km (25 mi)-long Bojana River, which forms the international border on the lower half of its length.

Outflow at Shkodra.

Lake Skadar National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Lake Skadar and surrounding area
Location	Montenegro
Coordinates	42°15′″N 19°15′″E / <span class="geo-dec geo" title="Maps, aerial photos, and other data for Expression error: Unexpected / operator Expression error: Unexpected / operator">Expression error: Unexpected / operator, Expression error: Unexpected / operator
Area	400 km² (154.4 sq mi) (40.000 ha)
Established	1983

The Montenegrin part of the lake and its surrounding area were declared a national park in 1983. It is one of the largest bird reserves in Europe, having 270 bird species, among which are some of the last pelicans in Europe, and thus popular with birders. The lake also contains habitats of seagulls and herons and is abundant in fish, especially in carp, bleak and eel.