Argentino Lake
| Argentino Lake | |
|---|---|
| Lago Argentino | |
Northern arm of the lake | |
| Location | Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 50°13′S 72°25′W / 50.217°S 72.417°W |
| Lake type | glacier lake |
| Primary inflows | La Leona River and the glaciers in the western part |
| Primary outflows | Santa Cruz River |
| Catchment area | 17,000 km2 (6,600 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Argentina, Chile |
| Max. length | 120 km (75 mi) |
| Max. width | 32 km (20 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,415 km2 (546 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 155.4 m (510 ft) |
| Max. depth | 719 m (2,359 ft) |
| Water volume | 219.9 km3 (52.8 cu mi) |
| Shore length1 | 687 km (427 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 178 m (584 ft) |
| Settlements | El Calafate |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Lago Argentino is a lake in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, at 50°2′S 72°4′W / 50.033°S 72.067°W. It is the largest freshwater lake in Argentina, with a surface area of 1,415 km2 (546 sq mi) and a maximum width of 20 mi (32 km). The lake's waters have an average depth of 155 m (509 ft), with a maximum depth of 719 m (2,359 ft). The deepest point of the lake is situated in the end of its narrow north-northwestern arm, in front of the retreating Upsala Glacier. This depth was discovered during a survey in 2001. The south-southwestern arm ends in front of the Perito Moreno Glacier. The glaciers debouche into the lake at these sites, making "trenches" in the bedrock. The lake reaches an astonishing 541 m (1,775 ft) below mean sea level.
Lago Argentino lies within Los Glaciares National Park in a landscape accented by numerous glaciers, and the lakes of the area are fed by the glacial meltwater of several rivers. For example, the waters of Lake Viedma are fed by the La Leona River, and many other smaller mountain streams. Lago Argentino's drainage basin amounts to more than 17,000 km2 (6,564 sq mi). Water from Lake Argentino flows into the Atlantic Ocean through the Santa Cruz River.
The glaciers, the nearby town of El Calafate, and the lake itself are all important tourist destinations with many hostels, hotels and other amenities catering to the outdoors located in the region. The lake in particular is appreciated for fishing. Perch, common galaxias ("puyen grande"), lake trout and rainbow trout—in both anadromous and potamodromous forms—are all found.
Lago Argentino was also the name of the airport that served the area until 2000. This airport was closed and its runway incorporated into the city's road system. It has been replaced by Comandante Armando Tola International Airport, which serves the town of El Calafate and Lago Argentino with many national and international flights each day.