Reservoirs in Kazakhstan were built for power and irrigation, so only a handful suit a visit. Bukhtarma on the Irtysh is by far the biggest, and Kapshagay, north of Almaty, is the one most people actually use for a beach day. Of the 309 counted by the ministry, this site has full guides to four.
The largest by area
Figures come from a Wikipedia list and from articles on each lake, not a state register, and they differ slightly between sources. Treat them as rough sizes.
| Reservoir | River, region | Area, km² | Volume, km³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bukhtarma | Irtysh, East Kazakhstan | 5,490–5,500 | about 50 |
| Kapshagay | Ili, Almaty Region | 1,847 | 28 |
| Shardara | Syr Darya, Turkistan Region | 900 | 5.7 |
| Koksaray | Syr Darya, Turkistan Region | 467.5 | up to 3 |
| Shulba | Irtysh, Abai Region | 255 | 2.39 |
| Sergeyevka | Ishim, North Kazakhstan | 117 | 0.69 |
| Samarkand | Nura, Karaganda Region | 82–84 | 0.26 |
| Vyacheslav | Ishim, Akmola Region | 61 | 0.41 |
| Bartogay | Chilik, Almaty Region | 13 | 0.32 |
The two biggest hold most of the water in this table, so nearly everything else is a minor stop unless you live nearby.
Which one for which trip
Choose by what you came for, because these four share almost nothing except a dam. If you want a swim from Almaty, the answer is simple.
| You want | Go to | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| A beach day from Almaty | Kapshagay | up to two hours at weekends; much of the shore is built up |
| Mountains around big water | Bukhtarma | warm only June–August, about 146 km from Oskemen |
| A photo stop near Charyn | Bartogay | water drawn down from June to September |
| Fishing or empty water in the far south | Shardara | dry heat above 33 °C in summer; no resort strip |
For a broader comparison with natural lakes, see how Kapshagay compares with two big lakes and the beach lakes of Kazakhstan.
Why water levels change
A reservoir runs on an operating schedule, and that decides what the shoreline looks like when you arrive. Bartogay stores water through winter and releases it to fields from June to September. Shardara regulates the Syr Darya and feeds a canal. Bukhtarma has regulated the Irtysh over multiple years since 1966.
That also means swimming rules and access are local and can change. Check them on site, and read the fishing rules before you bring a rod. To place these lakes on the map, see the rivers of Kazakhstan.
- A single official register of reservoirs with their areas: we could not open one.
- Current water quality at any of these reservoirs.
- Swimming and fishing rules on the reservoirs we do not cover in detail.