Bala Lake
| Llyn Tegid Bala Lake | |
|---|---|
| Llyn Tegid (Welsh) | |
View from Bala | |
| Location | Wales |
| Coordinates | 52°53′N 3°38′W / 52.883°N 3.633°W |
| Type | natural |
| Primary inflows | River Dee |
| Primary outflows | River Dee |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Max. length | 3.7 mi (6.0 km) |
| Max. width | 0.5 mi (0.8 km) |
| Surface area | 1.87 sq mi (4.8 km2) |
| Max. depth | 138 ft (42 m) |
| Settlements | Bala |
| References | |
| Official name | Llyn Tegid |
| Designated | 7 November 1991 |
| Reference no. | 535 |
Bala Lake, or Llyn Tegid (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɬɨ̞n ˈtɛɡɨd]), is a large freshwater glacial lake in Gwynedd, Wales. The River Dee, which has its source on the slopes of Dduallt in the mountains of Snowdonia, feeds the 3.7 miles (6.0 km) long by 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide lake. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales even before its level was raised by Thomas Telford to provide water for the Ellesmere Canal (later Llangollen Canal).
The town of Bala, which was once an important centre for the North Wales woollen trade, is located on the north-eastern end of the lake. The 3-mile (4.8 km) narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway, between the town and Llanuwchllyn (whose name means "church ['llan'] above ['uwch'] the lake ['llyn']"), runs along the lake's south-eastern shore using a section of former trackbed from the former Ruabon–Barmouth line.