Chyste is a karst lake near the village of Brody in the Ratne region, and its name speaks for itself: the bottom here is clean, free of algae, and the water is transparent. The lake lies amidst a pine forest and has been protected as the "Ozero Chyste" hydrological reserve since 1993.

What it is like

The area of the reserve is 58 hectares. The lake is of karst origin, with a depth of up to fifteen meters. A pine forest with a mixture of birch, about fifty years old, grows around it, and underfoot are green mosses, bilberries, bog bilberries, and lingonberries.

Lake Chyste from the western shore
Lake Chyste from the western shore. Photo: Viacheslav Galievskyi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nature

Water and semi-aquatic birds nest around the lake. In winter and summer, Chyste retains its transparent water, making it one of the most beautiful forest lakes in the Ratne region.

Lake Chyste from the southern shore
Lake Chyste from the southern shore. Photo: Viacheslav Galievskyi, CC BY-SA 4.0

Fishing

Chyste is home to bream, carp, loach, perch, pike, tench, roach, and crucian carp. Because of the transparent water, the fish are cautious, so it is best to fish in the morning or evening. Bream and carp are sought in the depths, while pike and perch are found near the shores. General fishing regulations apply.

Lake Chyste on video

Nearby

Ratne is the nearest settlement, and Lake Luka is not far away. More details can be found in the article Kovel Raion.

How to get there

Buses run from Ratne to Brody. From the village to the lake, you take a forest road.