Lake Endine () is a lake of the

Province of Bergamo The province of Bergamo (; ) is a Provinces of Italy, province in the Lombardy region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Bergamo. The province has a population of 1,103,768 (2023), an area of , and contains 242 ''comune, comuni'' (municipali ...

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Covering an area of 2.1 square kilometres, it is formed by the

Cherio River The Cherio () is a river of the Province of Bergamo in Lombardy in Italy. The river runs for and has a basin area of . Its source is at above sea level at Monte Torrezzo near Lake Endine. From there, it flows into the Oglio at Palosco.

at an altitude of 337 metres in the Val Cavallina.Turismo Provincia Bergamo
The lake lies in the territories of the municipalities of

Endine Gaiano Endine Gaiano (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. Endine Gaiano borders the following municipalities: Font ...

Monasterolo del Castello Monasterolo del Castello (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. Monasterolo del Castello borders the followi ...

Ranzanico Ranzanico (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. Ranzanico borders the following municipalities: Bianzano, ...

and

Spinone al Lago Spinone al Lago (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo, on the left bank of the Lake Endine. It is home to th ...

. The lake, set in the narrow valley between tall peaks, has preserved virtually intact the natural environment previously classified "area of remarkable environmental interest" by the authorities of the Lombardy region, subsequently promoted to park and as such subject to protection The lake banks alternate thick

reeds Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

- an ideal breeding area for the wide variety of fish and a bird haven - to small beaches densely populated during week-ends by tourists, who can picnic there in areas suitably equipped with wooden tables, waste bins, etc. The lake water, sufficiently clear, tends to a characteristic dark green colour. On the West bank, beyond state road no. 42, the territory is highly anthropised, especially in the lower sector; the less sunny East bank, on the other hand, has few villages.

Activities

The lake perimeter can be walked entirely on foot, since it is flanked on the East side by the road connecting Monasterolo del Castello to Endine Gaiano. A few kilometers north-east of this last village there is another tiny lake, lake Gaiano, no more than 200 metres long and 100 metres wide, highly renowned for fishing

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

. The nearby villages and territory do not have remarkable monuments of times past, except for the medieval castle of the

Suardi Suardi is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 60 km southwest of Milan and about 35 km southwest of Pavia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 692 and an area of 9 ...

, located at

Bianzano Bianzano (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Bergamo, in Lombardy, Italy. It is above sea level and lies on a little plateau between Cavallina and Seriana valleys. The village boasts a historic center, having kept its original stru ...

, from which traffic on the lake could be controlled. Water sports are practised on the lake (

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, Windsurfing, windsurfer, or Kitesurfing, kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (Land sa ...

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

), as well as

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

. Free camping is not allowed, nor is using motor boats. Ancient donkey paths rise up from Endine Gaiano and from the right bank to Ranzanico and from there to Bianzano. The small lakeside villages have small churches rich in works of art. In the coldest winter days the lake is covered by a thick layer of

ice Ice is water that is frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 ° C, 32 ° F, or 273.15 K. It occurs naturally on Earth, on other planets, in Oort cloud objects, and as interstellar ice. As a naturally oc ...

and it is possible to walk and in some spots to ice skate or ride a bicycle on it (although forbidden by municipal regulations due to safety reasons). Winter crossing of the frozen lake was exploited up to 19th century to cross the lake from Monasterolo at its narrowest point and reach the West bank.

Flora

Lago endine canneto 06.jpg ,

Common reed ''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. It is a wetland grass that can grow up to tall and has a cosmopolitan distribution worldwide. Description ''Phragmites australis' ...

Lago-di-Endine-flora-spontanea-01.jpg ,

Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae (), commonly called the bindweed, bindweeds or morning glory, morning glories, is a Family (biology), family of about 60 genera and more than 1,650 species. These species are primarily herbaceous vines, but also include trees, sh ...

Spinone-valle-del-Tuf-03.jpg , Purple cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens) Lago endine canna palustre Phragmites australis 07.jpg ,

Phragmites australis ''Phragmites australis'', known as the common reed, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae. It is a wetland grass that can grow up to tall and has a cosmopolitan distribution worldwide. Description ''Phragmites australis' ...

Ranzanico lago passeggiata 238 tratto-verso-Endine-felci.jpg ,

Pteridophyte A pteridophyte is a vascular plant (with xylem and phloem) that reproduces by means of spores. Because pteridophytes produce neither flowers nor seeds, they are sometimes referred to as " cryptogams", meaning that their means of reproduction is ...

BG-Gaiano-593-salice.jpg ,

Willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

Lago-di-Endine-flora-spontanea-02.jpg , Wild flora on the western shore Lago-di-Endine-flora-spontanea-03.jpg , Wild flora on the western shore

Fish fauna

Alburnus arborella ''Alburnus arborella'', the alborella or Italian bleak, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Leuciscidae, which includes the daces. minnows and related fishes This fish is found in northern Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Slovenia and Cr ...

Amur bitterling The Amur bitterling (''Rhodeus sericeus'') is a small fish of the carp family. It is sometimes just called "bitterling", which dates back to the time when the European bitterling ('' Rhodeus amarus'') was still considered conspecific with ''R. ...

Common rudd The common rudd (''Scardinius erythrophthalmus'') is a benthos, bentho-pelagic freshwater Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish belonging to the Family (biology), family Leuciscidae. This species is widely spread in Europe and central Asia, around the ...

* European carp *

European eel The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel. Their life history was a mystery for thousands of years, and mating in the wild has not yet been observed. The five stages of their development were originally thought to be differe ...

European perch The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man's rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the ...

Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the w ...

* Italian chub * Italian loach * Italian nase *

Largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...

Leucos aula ''Leucos aula'', the North Italian roach, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Leuciscidae, which in cludes the daces, Eurasian minnows and related species. This species is found in the river systems draining into Ad ...

Northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...

* Padanian goby *

Pumpkinseed The pumpkinseed (''Lepomis gibbosus''), also referred to as sun perch, pond perch, common sunfish, punkie, sunfish, sunny, and kivver, is a small to medium–sized freshwater fish of the genus ''Lepomis'' (true sunfishes), from the sunfish fami ...

Tench The tench or doctor fish (''Tinca tinca'') is a freshwater, fresh- and brackish water, brackish-water fish of the order Cypriniformes found throughout Eurasia from Western Europe including Great Britain, Britain and Ireland east into Asia as far ...

* Vairone *

Wels catfish The wels catfish ( or ; ''Silurus glanis''), also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been intro ...

Zander The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Family (biology), family Percidae, which also includes perch, Gymnocephalus, ruffe and Darter (fish), darter. It is found in freshwater and brackis ...

Bird fauna

African stonechat The African stonechat or common stonechat (''Saxicola torquatus'') is a species of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), inhabiting sub-Saharan Africa and adjacent regions. Like the other chats, it was long assigned to the thrush famil ...

Barn owl The barn owls, owls in the genus '' Tyto'', are the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The ter ...

Black kite The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...

Black-necked grebe The black-necked grebe or eared grebe (''Podiceps nigricollis'') is a member of the grebe family (biology), family of water birds. It was described in 1831 by Christian Ludwig Brehm. Its breeding plumage features distinctive ochre-coloured feat ...

Blackcap The Eurasian blackcap (''Sylvia atricapilla'') is a bird usually known simply as the blackcap. It is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences across the five subspec ...

Blue tit The Eurasian blue tit (''Cyanistes caeruleus'') is a small passerine bird in the tit (bird), tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognizable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size. Eurasian blue tits, usually resident bird, resident a ...

Canada goose The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), sometimes called Canadian goose, is a large species of goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North A ...

Carrion crow The carrion crow (''Corvus corone'') is a passerine bird of the family Corvidae, native to western Europe and the eastern Palearctic. Taxonomy and systematics The carrion crow was one of the many species originally described by Carl Linnaeus ...

Cetti's warbler Cetti's warbler (''Cettia cetti'') is a small, brown bush-warbler which breeds in southern and central Europe, northwest Africa and the east Palearctic as far as Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan. The sexes are alike. The bird is named after ...

Chaffinch The Eurasian chaffinch, common chaffinch, or simply the chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs'') is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The fema ...

Coal tit The coal tit (''Periparus ater''), is a small passerine bird in the tit (bird), tit family (biology), family, Paridae. It is a widespread and common resident breeder in forests throughout the temperate to subtropical Palearctic, including North ...

Common blackbird The common blackbird (''Turdus merula'') is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird. It breeds in Europ ...

Common buzzard The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. It is a member of the genus '' Buteo'' in the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across much of ...

Common gull The common gull (''Larus canus'') is a medium-sized gull that breeds in cool temperate regions of the Palearctic from Iceland and Scotland east to Kamchatka in the Russian Far East. Most common gulls bird migration, migrate further south in wint ...

* Common (northern) house martin *

Common kingfisher The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of ...

* Common pochard * Common reed bunting * Common reed warbler * Coot * Crag Martin, Crag martin * Egyptian goose * Eurasian green-winged teal * European goldfinch * European greenfinch * European jay * European robin * European serin * Great reed warbler * Great spotted woodpecker * Great tit * Grey heron * Grey wagtail * Circus cyaneus, Hen harrier * Hooded crow * Lesser spotted woodpecker * Little bittern * Little owl * Long-eared owl * Long-tailed tit * Mallard * Mute swan * Old World kestrel * Osprey * Peregrine falcon * Buteo buteo, Poiana comune * Short-toed snake eagle * Song thrush * Sprawk * Tawny owl * Central African hoopoe, Upupa * Western marsh harrier * White wagtail * Wood nuthatch

References

Lakes of Lombardy, Endine Province of Bergamo {{Bergamo-geo-stub

Activities

Flora

Fish fauna

Bird fauna

See also

References