Chao Lake

Chao Lake (Chaohu) is a large freshwater lake in Anhui province, eastern China; it is one of the country’s five largest freshwater lakes and has an approximate area of about 760 square kilometres.

Shorelines include reed beds, fishing villages, and beaches used for recreation and local fisheries. The lake supports birdlife and fishing activity and offers boat outings and shoreline walks on public sections of the shore.

The lake has long been an economic center for fishing and local transport in central Anhui. In recent decades it has been the focus of major environmental remediation and water-management projects to address eutrophication and pollution.

Chao Lake lies in central Anhui province, with the city of Hefei and other county-level towns located on its western and northern shores; the lake occupies a lowland basin in the eastern-central part of the province.

• Size: Covers roughly three quarters of a thousand square kilometres, making it one of China's five largest freshwater lakes.
• Environmental issues: Subject of large-scale environmental management and cleanup efforts after decades of industrial and agricultural pollution; water quality has been a focus of provincial programs.