Holomictic lakes are lakes that have a uniform temperature and density from surface to bottom at a specific time during the year, which allows the lake waters to mix in the absence of stratification.

Details

Holomictic lakes mix at least occasionally, in contrast to meromictic lakes.^[1] Most lakes on Earth are holomictic; meromictic lakes are rare, although they may be less rare than commonly thought.^[2] Amictic lakes are sealed off by ice and never mix.

There are five types of holomictic lakes:^[3]

• Polymictic (mixing many times annually)
• Cold Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting negative stratification)
• Warm Monomictic (mixing once annually; exhibiting positive stratification)
• Dimictic (mixing twice annually)
• Oligomictic (mixing less than once annually)