Located on the heights of the Trans-Ili Alatau at an altitude of 2500 m, surrounded by mountain peaks: Satpayev (4,317 m), Ozernyi (4,110 m), Tourist (3,954 m) and Bolshoy Almatinsky (3,681 m) 20 km from Almaty. The emergence of the lake is associated with an earthquake, which was the result of the formation of most of the Alatau lakes. In the 60s of the 20th century, the construction of water intake structures and hydroelectric power stations on the Big Almaty Lake began, which allows supplying the city with clean drinking water and electricity to this day.
Near the Big Almaty Lake are: an observation deck, located 400 meters from the shores of the reservoir; 2 km astronomical observatory of Tien Shan is located; and also in 8 km - the space station registering particles of space radiation. The nearest Alpine Rose Hotel is located in the middle of the main path to the reservoir. Also nearby is the Ak-Orda recreation area, where you can relax, have fun and try national dishes.
The local population calls the lake "Zhasylkol", which is translated into Russian "Blue Lake". The size of the lake is small and amounts to 500 m per 1000 m, and varies greatly depending on the season, and the depth can reach up to 45 m. The lake is surrounded by mountain peaks and glaciers and is a popular place for recreation for citizens.
To get to the Big Almaty Lake is best by road from Almaty. The length of the route will be about 30 km and about 1 hour.
