Alakol State Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in Alakol District, Kazakhstan

Alakol State Nature Reserve protects the Tentek River delta and the islands of Lake Alakol across six geographic sectors, from the northern shore of Lake Sasykkol to the Dzungarian Gates. Its flat, terraced plain is built of ancient marine and lake deposits, with salt marshes and meadow-bog soils. The largest island, Ulken Araltobe, covers 20 km² in the centre of the lake.

The reserve was created on 21 April 1998 by government decree No. 355 to protect the Tentek River delta and the islands of Lake Alakol. In October 2010, decree No. 1025 enlarged it by 45,505 hectares with land from the Urzhar District, bringing the total to 65,671.91 hectares. In 2013, UNESCO added the Alakol Biosphere Reserve to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

The reserve takes its name from Lake Alakol, whose Kazakh name is commonly explained as "motley lake" for the shifting colours of its salty water. Kazakh ornithologist E. Auezov found the relic gull nesting here during fieldwork in 1968–69. The lake's Uyaly stretch, whose name means "nesting grounds", draws birdwatchers to the colonies.

Access to the protected sections is restricted and visitors must register with the administration offices in Ushayral or at the station in Kabanbay. A buffer zone of two kilometers surrounds the reserve boundaries to protect the inner areas.

The islands in the lake provide breeding grounds for relict gulls that belong to the rarest gull species in the world. The small museum in the administration building displays exhibits on natural history and presents records on the flora and fauna of the region.