Selmęt Wielki Lake is located in the Ełk Lakeland in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. The lake is very close to Ełk, practically on the other side of the national road No. 65. This road crosses the national road No. 16, which runs along the longer side of the lake. In addition, there are local roads around the lake. It is true that the lake is located in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, but it is closer to Białystok than to Olsztyn.
The lake is big. The area is 1,273 hectares. It has a shape similar to the letter L with sides 5 and 7 kilometers long. It is 3.5 kilometers at its widest point. There are two islands on the lake, the larger of them is 2 hectares. The maximum depth is 22 meters. The river Lega flows through the lake, along a canoe trail. The shores of the lake are surrounded by villages, fields and meadows with a small share of pine and spruce forest. A narrow strip of alder and willow grows closest to the water. In places in the water there is a wide strip of reeds with many small fishing jetties. The bottom of the lake in the coastal zone and on the shoal is sandy and gravelly, outside the shoal it is hard, covered with a small layer of silt.
The lake is surrounded by small villages. There is no one large tourist center. It is dominated by agritourism and private accommodation offering a varied standard of services. The public beaches are located in Szeligi, Łoje, Makosia, Koziki and Mróz. The main and largest beach is located between Szeligami and Buczki. On this beach there is a public parking lot and the necessary infrastructure for sunbathers. All beaches are covered with grass and the water by the shore covers the sandy bottom. It is the part of the lake that is closest to Ełk that provides the most for tourists. Szeligi, Buczki and Mrozy are typically touristic villages. It is full of houses and rooms for rent. There are also hotels and campsites. But even here it is relatively quiet and peaceful. There is no typical holiday surfeit. The other places on the shores of the lake are even more peaceful, but there are almost exclusively agritourism farms there.
Selmęt Wielki Lake is under the care of the Lake Farm in Ełk. You should also buy a fishing permit there. And it’s worth buying them. In the lake you can catch fish such as bream, tench, roach, zander, pike and eel. Some time ago there was a plague of poachers here, but now order has been put in place and the manager and legal anglers can take advantage of this. The lake is big and stocked with fish so there is plenty to catch. Pike over 5 kilograms is not unusual. The water is clear and calm. You can easily swim to the middle of the reservoir and catch there with a float weighing up to 7g. The most effective method of fishing there is a float. You can also fish from the ground where you can count on a large rope and perch. One drawback of this lake is that there are few fishing spots on the shore of the lake, so most anglers go out by boat far from the shore.
Lake Selmęt Wielki is an interesting place to rest by the water on the border of Podlasie and Masuria. There are good conditions for tourists and anglers, and at the same time there is fresh air and silence. Those who will come here will not regret it.
