Laka, Glacial lake in Prášily, Czech Republic

Lake Laka is a small glacial lake situated at a high elevation near the Bohemian Forest in the Czech borderlands. It is surrounded by steep forested slopes that create a confined, enclosed feeling in the landscape.

Laka first appears, unnamed, on Kreybich's 1831 map of the Prácheň region; in 1837 it was surveyed and given the name Laka See. In the 20th century its dam was raised twice and a sluice was fitted to release water during timber floating. A wooden cross once stood on an island in the lake, in memory of a daughter from a nearby farm said to have drowned there; the island no longer exists.

The lake sits in a protected nature reserve of the Bohemian Forest, where the landscape has remained relatively undisturbed for generations. This role as a safeguarded natural space shapes how locals and visitors relate to the area.

The lake is accessible via marked hiking paths that wind through surrounding forests and link to other glacial lakes in the area. The terrain is uneven and can be slippery after rain, so sturdy hiking boots are recommended.

Laka is the smallest and shallowest glacial lake on the Czech side of Šumava, with a maximum depth of 3.9 m and a volume of about 40,000 m³. Its peat bottom supports floating islands of bog vegetation, and in 2020 trout returned to the lake naturally after 50 years.