Cold Water · Slovenia
Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
Shore dives in two clear alpine lakes, one inside Triglav National Park
Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj are two alpine lakes in Upper Carniola, north-west Slovenia, dived mostly from the shore in cold fresh water. Bohinj, inside Triglav National Park, has sites from the easy entry at Naklova glava, where a wall drops past 30 m, to the boat-only Ribogojnica; Bled is dived from its beach at Velika Zaka. Most dives sit between 10 and 20 m. The draw is clear alpine water that holds brown trout, Arctic char and other freshwater fish.
About diving in Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
Diving here is mostly from the shore in fresh water. On Lake Bled an SSI centre works from the beach at Velika Zaka between June and October; the water is a few steps from the sand, and dives run only by prior appointment. On Lake Bohinj, the larger lake, a local club gives information, guiding, transfers and tank fills, and divers are advised to use it. Naklova glava has an easy shore entry, while Ribogojnica can only be reached by boat.
Like all lakes, Lake Bled has a muddy floor, with stones along the shore and water plants that include white and red lotus, several kinds of algae and reeds. Visibility in the lake varies. Lake Bohinj holds brown trout, burbot, European chub, common minnow and Arctic char, along with eight genera of molluscs and numerous algae. The invasive zebra mussel has been confirmed in Lake Bled; cleaning dive gear after diving is the main way to stop it spreading.
The Bohinj lake sites are rated for Open Water divers or for all divers, which suits newly certified divers. The Bled beach centre lends gear to divers without their own and runs SSI programmes from first dives through specialties to professional level. Lake Bohinj lies inside Triglav National Park, whose rules on parking and camping apply to visiting divers.
Best time to dive Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Winter can freeze Lake Bled, and Lake Bohinj averages about 2°C in February, with the Bled beach centre closed until June. The centre opens in June and runs until October, with dives by appointment only. July and August are the warmest months: Bohinj averages 17 to 19°C and can reach 25°C in summer, while the surface of Bled warms to 22–26°C. Bled becomes very crowded in the summer months, above all at weekends.
Dive types & marine life
Fish keep mostly to the shore zone, and the amount of life in the lake changes with the season. Lake Bled now holds 18 fish species, and crayfish and mussels are no longer rare there.
- Freshwater
- Wall
- Freshwater fish
Best dive sites in Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
- 1
Naklova glava
Bohinj's most popular site for its very easy entry: algae and fish to the left, a wall past 30 m to the right.
- 2
Ribogojnica
Boat-only Bohinj site with a varied bottom of rocks, mud and algae, and fish.
- 3
Pod Skalco
Small Bohinj bay with sunken boats that suit navigation training, and dives to about 15 m for Open Water divers.
- 4
Regatni center
Entry at the Bled rowing centre, where the terrain suits training dives.
Site guides
One shore entry, two dives: algae and fish to the left, a wall to the right
Sunken boats in a small bay, good for navigation training
A boat-only Bohinj site with a mixed bed of rocks, mud and algae
How to get to Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU) is the closest airport, with bus and taxi links to Bled. Bled has the beach centre at Velika Zaka and the town's diving society; at Bohinj the local dive team is reached through the tourist office or by email.
Photos from Lake Bled & Lake Bohinj
James Southorn from Grove Park, UK · CC BY 2.0
Questions divers ask
Who supports divers at Lake Bohinj?+
A local club gives information, guiding, transfers and tank fills, and divers are advised to use it. It is contacted through the tourist office or by email.
When does the Lake Bled dive centre operate?+
The beach centre at Velika Zaka runs from June to October, and dives take place only by prior appointment.
Are the lakes dived from shore or by boat?+
Mostly from shore. Bled is entered a few steps from the beach at Velika Zaka and Naklova glava on Bohinj has an easy entry; Ribogojnica on Bohinj is reached only by boat.
Do Triglav National Park rules apply to divers at Lake Bohinj?+
Yes. Lake Bohinj lies inside Triglav National Park, so its regulations on parking and camping apply.
Sources
- About Us – Zaka Sub Bled — Zaka Sub Bled
- Jezero – DPD Bled — Društvo za podvodne dejanosti Bled
- Bohinjsko jezero — WannaDive
- Naklova glava — Zentacle
- Ribogojnica — Zentacle
- Bled – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Lake Bled – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Lake Bohinj – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- About Bled — Bled tourist board
Photo credits
- Lake Bled seen from a wooded hillside, green water around a small island with a church tower, mountains under cloud behind by James Southorn from Grove Park, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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