Lake Pamvotida (Ioannina)

Lake Pamvotida or Pamvotis (Greek: Λίμνη Παμβώτιδα/Παμβώτις), commonly also Lake of Ioannina (Greek: Λίμνη των Ιωαννίνων, Limni ton Ioanninon) is the largest lake of Epirus, located in the central part of the Ioannina regional unit in northern Greece.

The regional capital Ioannina to the west and the town of Perama to the north are urban settlements fringing the lake while the remaining of its periphery is composed of farmland. The lake features small fishing ports and a boating port. There is a regular boat service to the Ioannina Island. The Greek National Road 6 surrounds the northern half of the lake.

Geography
Lake Pamvotida is situated at 470 m elevation, south of the Mitsikeli mountains. It is fed by several small rivers. It has no surface outflow, but it is drained through karstic sinkholes towards the rivers Arachthos, Louros and Kalamas. In 1960 a tunnel and ditch were constructed that drain from the northern end of the lake to the river Kalamas. The small inhabited Ioannina Island, where Ali Pasha was hiding during the last days of his reign, is situated near the northern shore.

Biology
Urbanisation and pollution are threatening the lake ecosystem, home to small mammals, waterbirds and a rich fish and crustacean fauna. Eutrophication results in algal blooms in summer.

The most important fish of the lake are the endemic Squalius pamvoticus, the tsima – Pelasgus epiroticus, eels (Anguilla anguilla), Cobitis hellenica, Cyprinus carpio, (Economidichthys pygmaeus), Luciobarbus albanicus, Rutilus panosi, Silurus aristotelis, Silurus glanis and Tinca tinca. Among the listed species, here are the Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, the Carassius auratus, the Carassius cf. gibelio, the Ctenopharyngodon idella, the Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, the marmacoripryn Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Oreochromis niloticus and Polyodon spathula.