How Big Is Lugu Lake? Area, Depth and Volume Data

Many people ask before visiting: how big is Lugu Lake, and how long does it take to loop around it?

This article lists all the core data so you have a clear idea.

Core data of Lugu Lake

According to measured data in the book Lugu Lake: Regional Habitat and Cultural Evolution:

Lake surface elevation: 2,690.7 m – a highland lake

Lake area: 48.45 km² – roughly 6,800 standard football pitches

North–south length: about 9.4 km – from Caohai in the north to Daluoshui in the south

Average east–west width: 5.2 km – narrowest point about 2 km

Maximum depth: 93.5 m – in the lake centre

Average depth: about 40 m

Catchment area: 171.4 km² – the whole watershed

Shoreline length: about 44 km – one full loop

Transparency: 6.0–11.5 m – national top-tier water quality

What do these numbers mean

How big is 48.45 km²?

A standard football pitch is 7,140 m², so 48.45 km² equals about 6,800 pitches joined together.

Another way: the Forbidden City covers 0.72 km². Lugu Lake is about 67 times that size.

How long does a 44 km loop take?

Walking: about a day and a half if you cover 30 km a day
Cycling: a fit rider can finish in one day
E-scooter: half a day
Driving: about 2 hours

That is why the loop tour today is done by hired car or self-drive – a few hours suffice.

Where does Lugu Lake rank in China

Famous as it is, Lugu Lake is not actually large among China's freshwater lakes.

China's five largest freshwater lakes:

1. Poyang Lake: 3,150 km²

2. Dongting Lake: 2,820 km²

3. Lake Taihu: 2,420 km²

4. Hongze Lake: 2,069 km²

5. Lake Chao: 760 km²

At 48.45 km², Lugu Lake is far smaller than all of them.

But Lugu Lake has one special feature: it is a deep highland lake.

Deep highland lakes are rare in China. Lugu Lake reaches 93.5 m at its deepest and averages 40 m, so its volume is substantial.

By volume:

Lugu Lake: about 2.2 billion m³
Dianchi: about 1.5 billion m³
Erhai: about 3 billion m³

Although small in area, Lugu Lake holds more water than Dianchi – third in Yunnan after Fuxian Lake and Erhai.

The shape of Lugu Lake

Lugu Lake has an interesting shape – neither round nor oval.

It resembles a horseshoe, or a human figure. Caohai is in the north and is shallow; the main lake in the south is deep.

The lake contains 5 full islands, 3 peninsulas and 1 causeway island:

Liwubi Island: the largest island, with a lama temple
Xieva'e (Tsaiyao) Island: where Joseph Rock once lived
Lige Peninsula: the most famous peninsula, a photo spot
Princess Island: where Princess Xiao Shuming once lived

Why is the lake so deep

Lugu Lake is a fault-subsidence lake.

Simply put: during crustal movement, the ground here dropped, and water accumulated in the depression.

Because it formed by fault subsidence, the lake is deep with steep shores. Step a few paces into the water and it suddenly gets deep – completely different from shallow alluvial lakes.

This is also why the water is so blue and clear: the water is deep, sediment settles on the bottom, and the surface stays clean.

What you see on the 44 km loop

A full loop of the lake passes the main sights:

Yunnan side (starting from Daluoshui):

Daluoshui village: visitor centre, most concentrated lodging
Lige Peninsula: the classic photo spot
Nisai village: best view of Goddess Gemu Mountain
Xiaoluoshui village: traditional Mosuo village
Dazui village: the rainbow-road photo point

Sichuan side:

Caohai: wetland, reed beds
Walking Marriage Bridge: the wooden bridge over Caohai
Luguhu Town: the Sichuan-side town
Nüwa Bay: a fine sunset spot
Princess Island: the story of Princess Xiao Shuming

One loop covers essentially all the main sights of Lugu Lake.

Summary

How big is Lugu Lake? 48.45 km², with a 44 km shoreline.

It is not China's largest lake, but it is one of its cleanest: transparency of 6–11.5 m, maximum depth of 93.5 m and a volume of 2.2 billion m³.

When you visit, you do not need to cover the whole lake. Two to three days, picking a few highlights, is enough; the full loop takes half a day to a day.