The Smolyan Lakes are located on the left slope of the valley of the Cherna river and north into the Orpheus rocks and Mount Snezhanka (1926 m asl) in the Rhodope Mountains. The lakes are scattered throughout the whole valley, from the Orpheus rocks to the town of Smolyan. In the past, the lakes were about 20 in number, but today only seven are well formed, whereas the others have turned into swamps. During the spring and fall, in the place of some of these marshes, small lakes reappear. Others are transformed into fishponds.
The first lake, the Keryanov Lake,is by the edge of Smolyan, left of the road to Pamporovo and Plovdiv. At its lower end it is barred an artificially and thus has formed as one of the largest sized lakes.
Just above it is another smaller lake - Milusheva pond.
Further up, along the road to Devin, lies the third lake- Silage. At its lower end there is a small island, wildly overgrown with reeds. There are very convenient places for camping and fishing.
A little higher on the road, by the large turn, is another lake - The Ottoman pond. It is surrounded by two or three smaller ponds, but some of them dry out during the summer season.
Even further up, along the way to the „Smolyan Lakes” lodge and then right, is located the largest of the lakes – Camp Lake. There are lots of convenient places for camping and fishing here as well.
The most beautiful are the last three lakes. They are situated at the highest points, right under the rocks. Shortly after the deviation towards the "Smolyan Lakes" lodge, on the way to the lift, is Trevistoto Lake. About 30% of its area is covered by a peat layer, one meter thick, on which grows lush grass during the summer. 6 meters from Trevistoto (Grassy) Lake is the Bistro (Clear) Lake. The two lakes are connected through a sleeve river that runs between the many piled stones between the two lakes.
The Bistro Lake is perhaps the most beautiful of the lakes. Centuries old spruces stand by its eastern end, whereas at its other end there are large island-like stones scattered around. The lake is no deeper than a meter. Its bottom is clearly visible in its crystal clear waters. At the bottom of the lake is an artificial embankment that runs the tourist route to the "Studenetz" lodge.
The uppermost lake - Mutnoto (The Turbid), is located some 200 meters away from the Bistro and Trevisto lakes. A steep pathway that starts from the road that's between the two lakes can take you there. When climbing to the uppermost lake, tourists should beware the danger of falling rocks. The view is spectacular. The lake is tucked away in the dense spruce forests, directly below the cliffs. The light hardly reaches it through the tall trees. The water of the lake is dark, almost as if black, hence where its name comes from- Mutnoto (The Turbid). It’s the deepest of the lakes, with a depth of 4,5 meters.
