Lake Hino

Lake Hino with an area of 200 ha and a depth of 10.4 meters, is the largest and most island-rich lake in Haanja, Estonia. The lake has a broken-up shoreline and varied bottom relief. This lake is a lake-type eutrophic oligo-trophic with small through-flow and without large inflow. It is fed mostly by springs and rainwater. However, the original water level of the lake has decreased by about 3.5 meters. As a result, the eastern part of the lake has formed a separate lake called "Lake Mustjärv".

Lake Hino is rich in species of fish including bream, roach, perch, pike, tench, ruffe, rudd, bleak, silver bream, crucian carp, eel, etc. But birding is actually by far the favorite activity of people when they visit the lake. Lake Hino is home to 40 species of birds, 15 of which are connected to water- and shore habitats. The rarest one is the Black-throated Diver (Gavia Arctica) which is included in the Red Data Book of Estonia as an extremely endangered species.

Hino Lake Landscape Reserve is built around the lake, with the main purpose being the protection of birds that live in the lake; however, the protection of lake Hino as a beautiful natural object is not any less important.