| Lake Pelku | |
| Alt: | alt_lake |
| Pushpin Map: | China Tibet Ngari |
| Coords: | 28.9167°N 120°W |
| Outflow: | None (endorheic). |
| Length: | 27km (17miles) |
| Elevation: | 4,591 m (15,070 ft) |
Lake Pelku,[1] Pelkhu, or Paiku is a lake at 4591m (15,062feet) elevation on the Tibetan Plateau in Shigatse Prefecture. It is 18km (11miles) south of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River, bordering Saga County, Gyirong County, and Nyalam County.The lake is 27km (17miles) long and 6km (04miles) wide at its narrowest. It is surrounded by mountains reaching 5700mto6000mm (18,700feetto20,000feetm). Streams fed by glaciers cascade to the valley floor, but most sink into alluvial deposits before reaching the lake.
The surrounding catchment is an endorheic basin with no outlet. It would overflow into the Yarlung Tsangpo with a water level about 100m (300feet) higher. The lake's brackish water is evidence that it has not overflowed in hundreds, if not thousands, of years.