Lake Zell (german: Zeller See; it, Lago di Zell) is a small freshwater

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...

. It takes its name from the city of

Zell am See Zell am See is the administrative capital of the Zell am See District in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Located in the Kitzbühel Alps, the town is an important tourist destination due to its ski resorts and shoreline on Lake Zell. While Zell a ...

, which is located on a small

delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

protruding into the lake. The lake is long and wide. It is up to 73 metres deep and at an elevation of 750 metres above sea level. The lake is fed by numerous small

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...

streams in summer, but only one stream flows out of it into the

Salzach The Salzach (Austrian: �saltsax ) is a river in Austria and Germany. It is in length and is a right tributary of the Inn, which eventually joins the Danube. Its drainage basin of comprises large parts of the Northern Limestone and Central ...

. In winter the lake completely freezes and is used for winter sports. In summer the lake is used for pleasure boating (boats powered by combustion engines are not allowed except for the ferries that cross the width of the lake from Zell to Thumersbach, so electrically powered boats can be rented instead). The water is very clear and suitable for swimming or diving, but can be chilly. The southern end of the lake, near Schüttdorf, is shallower and mostly filled with

water weed ''Elodea'' is a genus of 6 species of aquatic plants often called the waterweeds described as a genus in 1803. Classified in the frog’s-bit family (Hydrocharitaceae), ''Elodea'' is native to the Americas and is also widely used as aquarium vege ...

, making it unsuitable for boating or swimming. The "Alpine Lake" can be seen from nearby ski trails.

References

Zeller Zeller, meaning both prisoner and monk in German, may refer to: Places *Zeller Ache, a river of Upper Austria *Zeller Bach (Isar), a river of Bavaria, Germany, tributary of the Isar * Zeller Bach (Memminger Ach), a river of Bavaria, Germany, tribut ...

LZeller See Zell am See {{Austria-geo-stub