Lake Białe (Jezioro Białe) is the most popular recreation spot in the Łęczna-Włodawa Lake District. It is located 7 km south of Włodawa, near the resort village of Okuninka in the gmina of Włodawa. Transparent water, a firm sandy bottom, wide beaches, and surrounding pine forests attract tens of thousands of holidaymakers every summer. For Ukrainians from Volhynia, this is arguably the closest "foreign" lake resort.
Clean and Deep
Białe is one of the deepest lakes in the lake district: according to various sources, its depth reaches over 33 meters, and its area exceeds one hundred hectares. The lake is endorheic, with no rivers flowing into it; its water is replenished by precipitation and groundwater. It once had a periodic inflow, but it dried up long ago. This is precisely why the water here is so clean — the lake holds the first class of purity. The bottom is sandy and firm, the shoreline is narrow, so there are almost no aquatic plants, and the water retains a bright, "white" tint, from which the name likely originates.
Almost the entire shore consists of sandy beaches. Only in the northwest are there meadows separated from the lake by a dam. From the south, the Sobibór forests approach the lake — in 1983, the Sobibór Landscape Park was established here.
Okuninka — Resort of the Lake District
Okuninka is a village on the northern shore, home to several hundred people. Since the 1960s, holiday resorts have been built around the lake, and today there are several dozen of them, along with campsites, private cottages, restaurants, bars, boat and paddleboat rentals, and an amusement park in the summer. An asphalt road encircles the lake, running 100–150 meters from the water. The northern shore is noisy and crowded, while the southern shore, near the forest, is quieter. Nearby lie the smaller lakes Lipiec, Święte, Rogóźno, Czarne, and Glinki.
Things to Do at the Lake
In summer, people swim, boat, and pedalo here, fish, and cycle around the lake. Out of season, Okuninka becomes quiet: you can walk along the shore, observe great crested grebes and warblers in the reeds, or set off on the Seven Włodawa Lakes Trail. For those seeking wild nature, there are the lakes of the Polesie National Park, such as the "Spławy" trail to Lake Łukie.
Fishing
Białe is a deep and clean lake, and it abounds with fish. Fishing guides mention vendace and whitefish — cold-water species that live only in deep, transparent lakes — as well as carp, bream, pike, eel, perch, and roach; in recent years, trout has been stocked here. Most commonly, anglers catch carp, bream, and perch. In summer, the area near the beaches of Okuninka is crowded, so fishing is more convenient early in the morning or in the off-season.
Polish fishing regulations apply: a fishing card and a permit from the water body user are required.
How to Get There
Okuninka is 7 km south of Włodawa on the road to Chełm; it is about 45 km from Chełm and approximately 95 km from Lublin. From Volhynia, it is most convenient to travel via the Yahodyn – Dorohusk border crossing; an international passport is required. In summer, a seasonal train runs between Chełm and Włodawa on weekends. Nearby are the museum and memorial in Sobibór, the synagogues, and the Church of St. Louis in Włodawa. Read more about the lake district in the article Polish Polissia.
