Albania is home to 247 natural lakes and more than 800 artificial lakes. The natural lakes, most of karstic or glacial origin,^[1] based on their origin, are classified as the following, 4 tectonic, 134 ice-dammed, 94 karst and 15 river. Lagoons are present along the coastal region. They occupy an area of 150 km² (58 sq mi).^[2]

List of natural lakes

Name	Image	Description	Location
Lake Shkodër Liqeni i Shkodrës		The ancient Lake Shkodër, named after the city of Shkodër, is the largest lake in Southern Europe.[3] The climate is mediterranean climate (Csa), defined under Köppen climate classification. Geographically, it is located on the border between Albania and Montenegro. Lake Shkodër covers an area that seasonally fluctuates between 370 km2 (140 sq mi) to 600 km2 (230 sq mi).[4] The maximum depth of the lake is 44 m (144 ft). However, only one third 142 km2 (55 sq mi) belongs to Albania.
Lake Ohrid Liqeni i Ohrit		Lake Ohrid is the deepest lake 288 m (945 ft) in the Balkans, the oldest lake in Europe and one of the oldest in the world.[5][6] It straddles the mountainous border between eastern Albania and southwestern North Macedonia. Almost 110 km2 (42 sq mi) belongs to Albania; the water leaves Lake Ohrid through its only outlet, the Black Drin river flowing in a northerly direction into Albania and thus to the Adriatic sea. It features unique and varied biodiversity, hosting more than 200 endemic species.[7] The cities located at the lakeside are Pogradec in Albania, and Ohrid and Struga in North Macedonia. In addition, the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Reserve was added to UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Lake Prespa Liqeni i Prespës		Lake Prespa is located in southeast Albania, at the border triangle with Greece and North Macedonia. Having a surface area of 176.3 km2 (68.07 sq mi), only 46.3 km2 (17.88 sq mi) belongs to Albania. The Prespa National Park was declared on 18 February 1999, that encompasses the entire Albanian part of Prespa. The national park is characterized by its high vegetation and biodiversity.[8] There are approximately 1130 species of vascular plants and 174 fungus.
Small Prespa Lake Liqeni i Prespës së Vogël		Small Prespa Lake is located in southeast Albania, at the border with Greece, with a surface area of 45.39 km2 (17.53 sq mi) and only 4.3 km2 (1.66 sq mi) belongs to Albania. It is known for hosting the largest breeding colony of the Dalmatian pelican in the world. Its surface is 853 m (2,799 ft) above sea level. The maximum depth of the lake is 7.7 m (25 ft).
Lake Butrint Liqeni i Butrintit		Lake Butrint, named after the ancient city of Butrint, is a lagoon and is located near the city of Sarandë, southern Albania. It overlooks the Ionian sea. The lake has a length of 7.1 km (4.4 mi) and a width of 3.3 km (2.1 mi), with a surface area of 16.3 km2 (6.29 sq mi). The maximum depth of the lake is 21 m (69 ft). The lake is also part of the Butrint National Park. Because of its climatic, hydrological and geological conditions, the lake is marked by its high vegetation and biodiversity. The fauna is represented by 39 species of mammals, 246 species of birds, 25 species of reptiles, 10 species of amphibia and 105 species of fish.

Other smaller natural or glacial lakes include Lura Lakes, Lake Sheep, Lake Gistova, Lake Gramë, Lake Buni Jezercë, Lake Dash, Lake Sylbicë, Lake Dhënve, Lake Sope and Lake Malik, which was drained by government's decision.

List of artificial lakes

Name	Image	Description	Location
Lake Fierza Liqeni i Fierzës		Lake Fierza has a surface area of 72.6 km2 (28.03 sq mi) with a maximum depth of 128 m (420 ft) and a volume of 2.7 billion cubic meters of water.[9] It is located on the Drin river near Kukës, northern Albania, stretching across the border to Kosovo in the White Drin Valley. The reservoir was formed as a result of the construction of the Fierza Hydroelectric Power Station in 1978. Fierza serves as a regulator of the water supply for both Lake Vau-Dejës and Koman.
Lake Vau i Dejës Liqeni i Vaut të Dejës		Lake Vau i Dejës has a surface area of 25 km2 (9.65 sq mi) with a maximum depth of 50 m (160 ft) and a maximum volume of 580 million cubic meters of water.[10][11] It was the first hydropower plant built on the Drin river, northwestern Albania. Three dams are located within the lake such as the Qyrsaqi dam with a length of 440 m (0.27 mi) and a height 46.6 m (0.0290 mi), the Zadeja dam having a length of 390 m (0.24 mi) and a height 60 m (0.037 mi) and Rragami dam with a length of 320 m (0.20 mi) and a height 34 m (0.021 mi).
Lake Ulëz Liqeni i Ulzës		Lake Ulëz covers an area of 13.5 km2 (5.21 sq mi) and a maximum depth of 54 m (177 ft), and was constructed in 1957.[12] It was declared as nature reserve in 2013.[13] Ulëz is located in Mat River Valley, on the eastern part of the Skanderbeg mountains in Krujë.
Lake Koman Liqeni i Komanit		Lake Koman is situated on the Drin river near the village of Koman next to the Albanian Alps. It covers an area of 12 km2 (4.63 sq mi) and a maximum depth of 175.5 m (576 ft).[14] Koman is a tourist attraction in northern Albania and sometimes comparable to the Scandinavian fjords, due to a number of rock formations, caves, canyons and waterfalls.[15]
Lake Shkopet Liqeni i Shkopetit		Lake Shkopet is an artificial lake that covers an area of 6 km2 (2.32 sq mi). The reservoir is located in Mat, Dibër County within the Skanderbeg mountains north of the capital Tirana.
Lake Bovilla Liqeni i Bovillës		Bovilla is reservoir with a surface area of 4.6 km2 (1.78 sq mi) and an average depth of 18 km (11.18 mi).[16] The reservoir is located in the northeast of Tirana and in the southeast of Krujë, within the Dajti National Park. The reservoir falls within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest.