Pullinque Lake, Glacial lake in Los Ríos Region, Chile

Pullinque Lake is a glacial lake in Los Ríos Region positioned between two neighboring lakes and fed by mountain waters. It drains into river systems that connect to the broader watershed of the region.

Pullinque Lake has a glacial origin: its basin was carved by glaciers, and the surrounding hills were cut steeply by glacial action. The lake level was later raised artificially to supply the Pullinque Hydroelectric Plant, a run-of-the-river station near the southwestern outflow that returns the diverted water to the Huanehue River.

Pullinque derives from Mapudungun pu llInke, "place of frogs", a reference to the amphibians of its shores. The lake lies between Calafquén and Panguipulli lakes, about 15 km from both Coñaripe and Panguipulli, and its water level was raised artificially for the Pullinque hydroelectric plant.

The lake is easily reached from nearby towns and has several spots where you can access the water directly. Fishing, walking along the shoreline, and boat outings are popular activities that work throughout the year.

The lake's level was raised artificially to supply the Pullinque Hydroelectric Plant, a run-of-the-river station that diverts water and returns it to the Huanehue River. In the valley around the lake stand drumlins, mounds of stone and clay left by rivers that ran beneath glaciers.