Dratów, or Loketek, is a large shallow body of water near the village of Dratów in the Ludwin commune of Łęczna County, about 7 km northeast of Łęczna. Unlike the nearby karst lakes, this is an artificial reservoir fed by water from the Węprz–Krzna canal. Swimming is not arranged here, but Dratów is one of the main fishing waters of Lublin region.
The lake that became a reservoir
There was once a natural lake here: as early as the 19th century, the Dratów and Loketek waters belonged to the Łęczna estate. Dratów took its current form along with the Węprz–Krzna canal, the longest canal in Poland (140 km), built between 1954 and 1961 to drain the Polissia marshes. At that time, some lakes were converted into retention reservoirs. Dratów covers an area of over 100 hectares, with a depth ranging only from half a meter to two and a half meters. The shores are an artificial embankment covered with concrete slabs and overgrown with reeds and sedge.
The canal greatly changed the nature of the region: according to estimates by Lublin scientists, from 1956 to 2006 over 73% of peatlands and wet meadows in the lake district were drained.
Fishing
Dratów is a water body of the Lublin district branch of the Polish Angling Association (PZW), used for competitions. District carp fishing competitions are held here, and in October 2024 the Polish championship in float fishing took place. According to competition protocols, catches mainly include bream, roach, perch, bleak, gudgeon, carp, and channel catfish. Competitions are held in float, feeder, and carp fishing, with depths at fishing sectors ranging from 1 to 2 meters. Fish are released after weighing at competitions. Polish fishing regulations apply: a fishing card and a permit from the water body user are required.
How to get there
From Lublin – to Łęczna (about 25 km), then northeast towards Ludwin. Near the eastern outskirts of the village stands the Church of St. Nicholas, and a few kilometers north are the lakes Rohuzno, Łukcze, and Piaseczno. For swimming, it is better to choose these. For Ukrainian citizens, this is Poland: a foreign passport is required.
