| Lower Kachura Lake | |
| Pushpin Map: | Gilgit Baltistan |
| Coords: | 35.4467°N 75.4456°W |
| Part Of: | Indus River basin |
| Max-Depth: | 70m (230feet) |
| Elevation: | 2500m (8,200feet) |
| Website: | Visit Gilgit-Baltistan |
| Cities: | KASHMIR |
The Kachora Lakes (Urdu: کچورہ جھیل) are three lakes in the Skardu District of Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan. The lakes, at 2500m (8,200feet) in elevation, are Upper Kachura Lake and Lower Kachura Lake.[1] The latter is also known as Shangrila Lake and is within a tourist resort named Shangrila Resort outside the town of Skardu. Another lake called Zambakha Lake is situated in the small village Zambakha adjacent to Shangri-la. The lakes are in the Karakoram mountain range of the western Himalayas, the greater Kashmir region, and in the Indus River basin.
Upper Kachura Lake is of clear water and has a depth of 70m (230feet). In summer it has a temperature of 15C.[2] In winter the surface is frozen solid. The upper Indus River flows nearby at a lower elevation.
The beauty of the Upper Kachura Lake is almost untampered and mostly unexplored by travelers, due to lack of infrastructure owing to its rough terrain The area has a rich flora of the Western Himalayan subalpine conifer forests ecoregion, and also known for its wild apricot - Prunus armeniaca orchards. Recreation activities at Upper Kachura Lake include hiking, trout fishing, and Himalaya mountaineering.
See main article: Lower Kachura Lake.