Kochelsee () or Lake Kochel is a lake south of
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
on the edge of the
Bavarian Alps. The western 1.7 km² or 28.3 percent of the lake lies within the borders of the town of
Schlehdorf, while the rest belongs to
Kochel am See. The southern edge of the lake lies up against the mountains and the northern shore is bordered by
bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...
lands. The history of the settlement of Kochel (previously ''Quochcalun'') begins with ''Birg bei Altjoch'', a rock extrusion on the shore of the lake. The name Kochel is derived from the Latin ''cocula'' meaning head or cone.
The
Loisach flows into the lake at Schlehdorf and flows out at Kochel am See. A similar amount of water flows into the lake from the
Isar
The Isar () is a river in Austria and in Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel mountain range of the Alps. The Isar river enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Krün, Wallgau, Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching ...
through the
Lake Walchen Power Plant.
Origin
The lake was created during the
last glacial period of the
current ice age by the Loisach-Isar glacier. The bottom of the glacier scraped out the lakebed. The basin then filled with water at the end of the glacial period. The northern end of the lake silted up forming bogs.
Settlements
The following settlements border the lake:
*
Kochel am See
* Raut (part of Schlehdorf)
*
Schlehdorf
* Altjoch (part of Kochel am See)
All are part of the district
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.
See also
*
Stein, a mountain overlooking the lake near Kochel am See
*
List of lakes in Bavaria
External links
*
{{Authority control
Lakes of Bavaria
LKochelsee
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
Upper Bavaria
Glacial lakes