Lake Bachotek: the paddling heart of the Brodnica Lakeland

Six kilometres from Brodnica, in the heart of the Brodnica Landscape Park, lies a narrow ribbon lake ringed by pine forest. Bachotek runs from north to south, and in the middle of its surface stands the wooded Treasure Island. For kayakers it is an address known for generations: from here, from below the PTTK water station, you set out on the Skarlanka - one of the most beautiful trails in the Brodnica Lakeland.

Lake Bachotek: what kind of water it is

Bachotek is a glacial ribbon lake, drawn out from north to south over more than four kilometres, up to 0.9 km wide. The area is about 211 hectares, and the water drops to a maximum of 24.3 metres, with an average depth of 7.2 metres. Its surface sits at nearly 71 metres above sea level. The lake lies on the lower course of the river Skarlanka; the impounding weir at nearby Tama Brodzka raises its mean level by about 43 centimetres. The shores are covered in pine and mixed forest, and the whole lake belongs to the Brodnica Landscape Park, where the use of combustion engines is banned. The water is clean - surveys have rated it class II.

Treasure Island and the Skarlanka trail

In the middle of the lake lies a wooded island that local tradition calls Treasure Island, with tales of hidden riches. You can comfortably paddle around it by kayak. On the eastern shore two centres operate: the PTTK Water Station and the Nicolaus Copernicus University base, with a limnological station that studies the water here. The station is one of the best-known kayaking addresses in the region and the natural starting point for paddling the Skarlanka. The river is about 37 kilometres long and threads together a string of Brodnica lakes - from Skarlińskie through Wielkie Partęczyny, Dębno, Robotno and Zbiczno all the way to Bachotek - before flowing into the Drwęca below Tama Brodzka. The engine ban and the light boat traffic mean the waters are never crowded.

Routes on the lake

Bachotek is narrow and long, so on the lake itself short loops work best: along the wooded shores, around Treasure Island and towards the southern end, where the Skarlanka begins. Below I mark the places worth visiting and the points from which it is easy to set off.

See the area on the interactive map Click to load the map - routes on the lake, shores and weather

Safety on open water

Put on and adjust your buoyancy aid while still on shore. Bachotek is intimate and sheltered by forest, and the ban on combustion engines makes it a quiet stretch of water, good for beginners and families too. Even so, remember that in a stronger wind a wave can build even on a small lake, and the water in the depths is cold. At the southern end, by the weir at Tama Brodzka, portage your kayak if you want to paddle on down the Skarlanka towards the Drwęca.

How to paddle a kayak on the lake? However you like, as long as you follow every safety rule. You paddle whichever way suits you - you choose your own line and destination. There is no road, channel or course you have to keep to here. Just watch out for natural obstacles and other people on the water. Adjust to the weather conditions.

Getting there and where to rent

The easiest place to start is on the eastern shore, in the village of Bachotek, six kilometres from Brodnica. Here you'll find the PTTK Water Station with equipment rental and the Nicolaus Copernicus University base; this is where most Skarlanka trips set out from. You can rent a kayak on the spot, and if you are planning a longer trip along the trail, it is worth checking the water level on the Skarlanka and the Drwęca beforehand and looking at the Kayaking Map of Poland; further downstream the famous Drwęca trail begins.