A great outdoor adventure awaits you at lake Inari. The Lapland nature surrounding the third largest Finnish lake is wonderful. Book a guided paddling trip at Lake Inari.
Inarijärvi is the third largest lake in Finland, with a surface area of over 1000 square kilometres and a shoreline of over 3000 kilometres. The lake is relatively shallow, about 15 meters in general, but the deepest trenches sink down to 90 meters – of all the Finnish lakes only lake Päijänne is deeper.
The open water areas in lake Inari are so vast that the opposing shore can't be seen. On the other hand there are mazes of islands on each shore, rendering lake Inari to a perfect paddling location, as there's a countless array of paddling routes and the islands also offer shelter from the sometimes strong winds.
Vätsäri Wilderness Area is located in the Northern part of lake Inari. This vast wilderness stretches all the way to to Finnish-Norwegian and Finnish-Russian borders. It is an international nature reservoir and a home to many rare and endangered animal and plant species.
The most notable islands in lake Inari are the Hautuumaasaari and the Ukonkivi, which are ancient burial and sacrifice places for Sámi people, the endemic people of Sápmi region in Lapland. Some archeological artefacts older than 1000 years have been recovered on the lake Inari islands.
The largest islands in lake Inari are Mahlatti and Kaamassaari, which rank 21st and 22nd on the list of largest inland islands in Finland. On many lake Inari islands there are unlocked, uninhabited wilderness cabins, were wanderers and trekkers can spend the night for free.
Lake Inari's nature features
The growing season at lake Inari is short, from June to early September, yet relatively longer than in other parts of Lapland. This is due to the water temperature: as lake Inari is a huge water basin, it cools rather slowly and keeps the surrounding temperatures slightly higher than in Lapland in general. The lake is usually frozen from November to early June.
Natura Viva's paddling trip at lake Inari will take place in September, when the Autumn colors are at their most beautiful in Lapland. The Inari lakeshores are rugged and steep, but here and there small sandy beaches remain. The shoreline is very uneven, with small bays and straits here and there.
Fisher's lake Inari
The fish found in lake Inari are typical for Northern waters: large salmon-family fish such as trout, lake salmon, artic char, whitefish and vendace. Also the most common Finnish fish species pike, perch and burbot are abundant. There are some commercial fisheries at lake Inari.
Historic lake Inari
The lake was formed during the last ice age, when the lake depression was bounded by the moving faults. The lake is 50 kilometres wide and 80 kilometres long.
The area around lake Inari and the islands are ancient holy places of Sámi people, and some traditional livelihoods, most notably reindeer herding, remain to this day.
During the second world war the Inari region was occupied by German forces, who used forced labor to build an airstrip on the lake Inari ice.
Visitor's Inari
The lake Inari region is a wonderland for outdoor lovers. The Inari Village and Ivalo town boast a laid-back atmosphere, where the traveller can get accustomed to the Lapland way of life before embarking on a nature adventure.
Inari is the only Finnish municipality with four official languages: Finnish, Finnish, Inari Sami, Skolt Sami, and Northern Sami.
