Wales' Largest Natural Lake Is A Fishing Paradise Nestled In A Mountainous National Park

In a country where the annual rainfall counters can top 127 inches, it's hardly a surprise that there are lakes and rivers just about everywhere. Wales has thousands of miles of snaking waterways and something like 500 lakes and reservoirs (according to Fishing Wales) on its roster. When it comes to the latter, the largest naturally occurring lake is one that you might just want to add to your travel itinerary. Enter Llyn Tegid, also known as Bala Lake in English, which spreads out with its inky blue waters between the rugged mountains in the very heart of Wales.

It's a real whopper of a lake, coming in at about 3.5 miles from tip to toe and around 3,000 feet wide at its broadest, northernmost end. According to both Natural Resources Wales (the organization responsible for environmental management in the Celtic nation) and the BBC, those metrics are enough to make this the largest natural lake in the whole country. It uses that size well, too, for Tegid is a mecca for all sorts of adventure and activity: Fishing, water sports, or simply wallowing in the jaw-dropping vistas of the surrounding Eryri National Park are all on the menu here, although fishing does require a permit.

The catch? Llyn Tegid and the adjoining town of Bala, the gateway to the lake, aren't the easiest places to get to. It's going to be a drive of around four hours from Cardiff (the only international airport in Wales), though it should be under two hours if you arrive at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) over in England to the northeast. Bala doesn't have its own train station, but the T3 bus connects it to Wrexham and Chester, which is considered by some to be the most architecturally beautiful town in the U.K.

If you're vacationing with the rod and tackle in tow, and fancy casting a line in some cold Welsh mountain water to do your hunting, then Llyn Tegid could be a fine place to start. Fishing Wales explains how this big old lake holds some seriously rare species, including the gwyniad, a certain type of whitefish that occurs naturally in Tegid itself. On top of that, there's perch, pike, and trout, sometimes in hefty sizes, up for grabs in these parts.

You'll find many spots to fish peppering the banks, with the best access points dotting the A494 road as it skirts the northwestern shoreline. If you prefer to get out on the water itself, head down to Bala Watersports, which has a base just behind the main parking area near Bala town. They hire out all sorts of craft, from single-person kayaks right up to fully-fledged bass boats.

Everyone looking to do a spot of fishing around Llyn Tegid will need to get the right licenses and permits. First off, you'll need a valid rod-fishing license, which applies to anyone planning to fish for freshwater fish in all of Wales. Second, you'll need a local Llyn Tegid fishing permit — it's possible to bag those at the parking meters in the large parking lot on the northern shore of the lake. Additional permits may be required for boating.

Llyn Tegid has quite the location. Tucked just within the boundaries of Eryri National Park (the largest national park in Wales), it has some of the highest peaks in the country looming to the west, and the moor-blanketed tops of the 2,000-foot-high Berwyn Mountains looming to the east. The upshot? The views on all sides are pretty dang awesome, as is the potential for adventure on foot.

One of the tallest mountaintops in the immediate vicinity of the lake is known as Arenig Fawr. It's possible to hike right to the summit via a path that starts on a farm track before crossing a ridge and then steepening as it approaches the top. Up there, you'll enjoy panoramic views that pierce deep into the heart of the national park, including, on clear days, visions of Yr Wyddfa, the very roof of Wales (though not the U.K.'s tallest mountain, which is Ben Nevis up in Scotland).

For a less demanding (but still moderately challenging) hike, consider taking the paths that skirt a little closer to the actual lakeside. There are two sections: Llyn Tegid South, and Llyn Tegid North. The first is just shy of 7.5 miles in all, wiggling through the hillsides to offer glimpses of the lake surface and the undulating farms and fields that define the region. The latter crisscrosses ridges on the opposite side of the water, clocking up 6.2 miles as it passes historic cottages and babbling streams.