Viken, Lake in Västra Götaland County, Sweden

Lake Viken is located in Västra Götaland and forms part of the Göta Canal system. The water body spans across multiple municipalities and serves as a connecting point between different sections of this historic waterway.

The lake was utilized as a natural water basin during the construction of the Göta Canal in the early 19th century. This development made it an essential element of Swedish inland navigation.

The name Viken simply means "the bay" in Swedish, though the lake is a hästsko-shaped body of water. On its eastern arm, the Spetsnäskanalen cut through the Spetsnäset headland in 1824 shortened the Göta Canal route by 3 nautical miles; boats still pass through this blasted channel today.

The lake lies northwest of Karlsborg and is reached by county road 202 between Karlsborg (Hanken), Undenäs and Töreboda. Göta Canal passes through it by locks at Tåtorp in the west and Forsvik in the east, where boats are raised or lowered to the lake's level of 92 metres above sea level.

In 1824 the Spetsnäset headland was blasted through to create the Spetsnäskanalen, shortening the Göta Canal route by 3 nautical miles. The cut runs through the eastern part of the lake, where the canal now passes the headland.