Lake Bolshoye Chebachye: the largest lake of the Burabay group and when to go

Lake Bolshoye Chebachye, known in Kazakh as Ulken Shabakty, is the largest lake of the Burabay group in Akmola Region, northern Kazakhstan. It sits in Burabay National Park, about 61 km in a straight line from Kokshetau and about 233 km from Astana. Expect clear open water, granite shores under pine and birch, and a short summer season.

Where the lake is and what kind of trip it takes

The lake lies 16.5 km north of the town of Shchuchinsk, at the foot of Mount Kokshetau (947 m), in the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort zone. The village of Burabay stands on its south-eastern shore and draws drinking and household water from the lake. Lake Burabay lies to the south, and the Kurkireuik (Gromotukha) stream runs from it into Bolshoye Chebachye.

For a foreign visitor this is a trip from Astana, not from Almaty: Almaty is at the other end of the country. The nearest city in the distance list is Kokshetau, about 61 km in a straight line; Astana is about 233 km and Petropavl about 208 km, also straight-line figures. We could not confirm buses, trains or road conditions, so plan the last stretch before you leave, especially if you have no car and no Russian.

A clear, deep lake with granite shores

Bolshoye Chebachye is an open lake almost without water plants; reeds and rushes grow only in a shallow north-eastern bay, by the Kazakh Wikipedia. The basin is tectonic. The southern shore is high and cliffy, up to 18-20 m, while the northern and eastern shores are low. Granite outcrops alternate with fine pebbles and sandy beaches, and the slopes are covered in pine and birch.

The shoreline is cut by peninsulas into many bays, and there are several islets. One of them, the so-called Singing (also Smorodinovy or Omsky) peninsula, used to be an island. Because of its depth and size the lake is also nicknamed Little Baikal.

Sources do not agree on the lake’s size. The table gives the ranges so you are not misled by a single figure.

For a visitor the practical point is simple: this is a large, deep lake, not a shallow pond, so treat swimming far from shore with care.

When to go: open water lasts only from late spring to autumn

The lake is frozen for roughly half the year, so the window for a lake trip is June to September. Russian Wikipedia says it freezes in late November and opens in late April; the Kazakh article gives mid-November and 15-25 May. Plan around the later date if you want open water in May.

These are ERA5 reanalysis normals for 2011-2020 at a grid point at 389 m, not a weather station; the lake itself is lower, at about 302 m. July is the warmest month, with average highs near 23 °C and nights near 13 °C. June and August are close behind. July is also the wettest month, with about 93 mm of precipitation, so expect showers. The figures are for a grid point and may differ from conditions at the shore.

Winter is severe: January averages around -13 °C by day and -20 °C at night. A winter visit is possible for the frozen landscape, but we could not confirm any rules on going out onto the ice.

Fish, water quality and what that means for swimmers

Fishing on the lake is common. Perch, bream and chebak (roach) are native; carp, tench, ripus and peled were introduced and have settled well, and there are crayfish. English Wikipedia translates the name Ulken Shabakty as “Big Fish”.

Russian Wikipedia also states that the water exceeds the permitted concentration of sulphates, copper, iron and fluorides. It gives no year for this measurement. We could not confirm current water-quality data or whether swimming is restricted at particular beaches, so check locally before swimming or drinking untreated water.

Protected status and the small sister lake

The lake belongs to Burabay National Park, created by a government decree of 12 August 2000 and classed as a protected area of national importance. We could not confirm entry fees, permits, fishing rules or camping rules inside the park.

Lake Kishi Shabakty, also called Maloye (Small) Chebachye, lies about 3 km to the west, and Lake Shchuchye about 16 km to the south-south-west. If you are combining this area with another lake in pine hills, Zerenda is about 81 km away in a straight line, near Kokshetau. For more granite country in the steppe, Ulytau is a separate long trip, about 551 km away.