Review: Lake Velye (Russia, Novgorod region) - Not the best lake for camping
In August 2021, on the way from St. Petersburg to our native Nizhny Novgorod, we decided to stop by Valdai for a couple of days.
We also read reviews at home, especially reviews about the local fishing. My husband is a keen fisherman, and it was precisely by this criterion that he chose Veljo out of all the lakes in the Valdai Nature Reserve. We were driving along the M-10 highway from St. Petersburg through Novgorod to Moscow, in the Valdai area we turned right off the highway, towards Ivanteevo. From the highway to the lake - 50 km. Of course, we knew in advance, based on reviews, that the road there was very bad, but to such an extent! First there were 10 kilometers of broken asphalt, then a grader started moving - I don’t even know what was worse. My husband later jokingly admitted to me that if the trip to Velho had been my initiative, he would have killed me right there for taking such a trip. But since it was his choice, he endured it in silence, diving into the next pothole. And such road horror - all 50 km to the lake. And then the same amount back. Upon returning home, I had to repair the suspension.
Having finally hobbled to the lake (the 50 km section took almost three hours!), we drove along its right (western) side. On all lakes of the Valdai Nature Reserve, tents are allowed only in tourist parking areas; All these sites, with a map and coordinates, are indicated on the reserve’s website. We had the coordinates of the parking lots, but for some reason the navigator constantly lost the way and squealed in a bad voice that we had gone off the route. We had to ask local residents, they gave us directions.
In principle, road exits to parking areas are marked with signs. Through the forest, there are dirt roads with deep ruts, fairly washed out by rain. The first few places were taken. In general, all these tourist clearings are very small, just for one company; you won’t stand right next to someone else’s tent! As a result, there are not many places. And only one of them turned out to be free, and that’s where we stopped:
The clearing we got was muddy, damp, and by evening it was covered in real fog, it was unpleasant and humid to sleep. But everywhere is very clean, the garbage has been removed. There is a wooden gazebo. A little closer to the road there is a large trash box so you don’t have to take it with you.
Our place turned out to be on the shore of the bay, and not the main lake. The next morning - fishing:
Motors can be used, but up to five horses. There was a failure with fishing, and a complete failure - no catch, not even a bite! My husband is very interested in fishing, and he has experience, and good gear, here on the Volga he always has a catch, but here there is not a single fish! Although he motorized around a large lake, and bays, and channels between them.
While he was swimming on the lake, a huntsman visited me and took money for parking. Having learned that we were there for two days, he gave up and wrote out a receipt for only one day. Prices are indicated on the website of the Valdai Nature Reserve.
These ducks came to visit and came close, apparently not at all frightened:
Feeling bored, I walked a few kilometers and looked at all the nearby (occupied) parking lots. I was disappointed. Maybe we are spoiled in Nizhny Novgorod, we have the Volga, the Oka, the Gorky Sea, and many beautiful lakes and smaller rivers scattered throughout the region! Therefore, Velho was not particularly impressed. And it didn’t work out with the fish, we just went for a ride on the lake. Big, clean:
- Published: 12/07/2015 21:47
- Author: Admin
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Everyone is going to the Lower Volga, but I am still drawn to the north. I don't even know how to explain all this. Most likely, you like nature. So this year, Sergei and Igor invited me to go to Lake Velye, in the Novgorod region. This lake is located between Valdai and Seliger.
In principle, in those parts I was on many lakes, Volgo, Seliger, Vselug, Piros, Valdai, Uzhin. And because of this, I understood perfectly well what kind of fishing there would be, this is not the lower Volga. I don’t know why, but I agreed to the trip right away.
The trip was planned for six days, to one of the few bases on this lake. Lake Velyo is one of the largest lakes in the north-west of Russia, located in the Novgorod region, north of Lake Seliger in the territory of the Valdai National Park. The lake stretches from north to south for more than 25 kilometers, the shores are heavily indented. Velho has more than 200 large and small islands. Depth difference up to 42 meters (2004 study). The average depth is 9-10 meters. The bottom and shores are mostly sandy, with mud in places. The western and northern shores of the lake are inhabited. The southern and eastern shores are difficult to access by vehicle. The water in the lake is suitable for drinking. There is no industry, nor are there any large agricultural producers. The lake becomes covered with ice at the end of November - beginning of December, and is freed from ice at the end of April - beginning of May.
Several small rivers flow into the lake. The natural flow in the western part of the lake through the Yavon River is partially blocked by a dam, causing the lake level to rise by several meters. Part of the drainage of Lake Velyo enters the Vyshnevolotsk water system through an artificial canal in the eastern part of the lake into the Libya River, Lake Shlino and the Shlina River. My trip began with a little adventure, I refueled the car the evening before the trip, after refueling I noticed that the engine was working strangely, then normally, and then still running rough. Thought it was gasoline. In the evening I loaded the boat, motor and things into the car. Early in the morning I start, start the car, everything is fine, I take off, it seems normal, I give the gas and then it starts, it seems that only three cylinders are working. I think it might be different. I got to Obninsk, no, 500 km on such a car. It's dangerous to drive; you might end up on the road. I turn around and go home. I call the guys back and say that I’ve broken down and will come tomorrow or today, but in the evening. In general, I won’t describe it in detail, but the coil on the spark plug flew, replace it and off you go. The lake is located, as I already wrote, in the Novgorod region. To get there, I had to go along the Leningrad highway to Valdai, then turn left and go to Nikolskoye, first on asphalt, then on concrete, and then on sand rolled by a grader. From Maloyaroslavets to Mesta it turned out to be 518 kilometers. Travel time 6 hours. In autumn there are noticeably fewer cars on Leningradka than in summer. Even in Vyshny Volochyok there was practically no traffic jam.
Having arrived at the point, it’s good that the guys sent the coordinates to the GPS, I began to change clothes and unload, my further journey had to take place by water. The owner of the base, Yuri, had to take me to the base in his boat, which is 10 kilometers by water. Knowing the quirks of autumn and open water, I decided to dress thoroughly, with a winter jacket and waders. Then I didn’t regret it, because there was wind and waves on the open water, the spray was flying great, and it started to rain. If I hadn’t changed my clothes, I would have arrived all wet. My colleagues were waiting for me on the shore, urging me on because they were completely hungry. We were given a remote house to stay in. The house is two storeys (we lived on the first floor) on the first floor there is a tiras and two rooms. There is a Russian stove between two rooms. When ordering a house for ourselves, we used a cooking service and therefore did not cook ourselves. You know, I have never regretted the money I paid for this service. The food was very tasty and varied. After a short snack, we collect gear, inflate the boats, put on the engines and set off. I mainly fished with wobblers (twitching), sometimes jigged. Igor caught with a spinner, and Sergei tried everything. It is impossible to say that some baits worked better, since on average everyone caught about the same. Igor, as a rule, fished near reeds and water lilies, along the shore. Sergey, I tried it traditionally everywhere, both at depth and near the grass. I mainly fished in open water, since I had an echo sounder, I looked for interesting terrain, anchored and fished this place. Mostly I found underwater islands, these are small navels with a depth difference from 0.5 -1.5 meters to 4 - 8 meters. There must be algae on the belly buttons.
This method worked very well and it was rare that I didn’t remove a pike or perch from such a place. In general, the terrain on the lake is very interesting; everyone will find a suitable area for their own method of spinning fishing. Let it be jig, twitching, trolling. Of course, this requires an echo sounder. The maximum depth I found was 21 meters. There were differences from 4 to 16 meters, but this was mainly along the river bed. My catch consisted mostly of pike, the largest being about 1 kg. Not a trophy, but the goal was not to catch a 10 kg pike. She took well on wobblers, but in order for her to bite, it was necessary to take a long pause, about 6 seconds. The wobblers were slowly sinking and all the bites were on pause, when the wobbler does not play, but slowly sinks. As I already wrote, I didn’t catch it for long with a jig, but all the large perch were caught with it, and also a couple of pike. There was one evening that I completely devoted to jigging, I found a small island of reeds that stuck out of the water, and near it I dropped 5 meters, and that’s where I jigged. All the pike stood around a log that lay at the bottom. The pike took it very carefully, I couldn’t detect everything, since I was fishing with a non-snagging hook (offset hook). As soon as you place the double, you immediately leave the bait on the log. That evening I returned from fishing very happy, although I didn’t catch a pike with a jig, but I caught a little in the bays with wobblers.
By autumn standards, we got up early at 8 o’clock, straight to the water, then at about 11 o’clock we arrived for breakfast, hot tea, pancakes or apple pie, as well as fried eggs or porridge. Then again on the water and until 15 o’clock, we had dinner and again on the water, until dark, and in the evening we had dinner. Sergey caught the largest fish among us, a 3 kg pike. That day was full of adventures. There is something to remember. One day we were smoking fish, Igor was in charge, the fish turned out delicious. Sitting now with a mug of beer and licking your fingers, you remember how great we had at Lake Velje, mentally. Everyone did what they wanted at the moment, some went fishing, some were just sleeping, some went to pick mushrooms, the mushrooms were given to Svetlana (this is the local chef who prepared our food). She then fried them for us with potatoes. This is how the 6 days flew by. Sergey, Igor, thank you for the excellent company, see you fishing. PS The weather there is very changeable, sometimes the sun, sometimes the wind, and if there is wind, then there are big waves on the open wave. Be careful. And wear life jackets.
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Fishing on Lake Velje
Lake Velye in the Novgorod region is one of the most popular fishing spots in northwestern Russia.
The distance from roads and cities makes the lake environmentally friendly and the fish in it suitable for food. The pristine natural environment contributes to the conservation of many fish species. Among them: pike, bream, pike perch, perch, tench, whitefish and more than twenty species of fish.
The water in Lake Velje is clear. In these conditions, fishing is very convenient; fish can be caught even with the simplest gear. They depend on the type of fish: spinning rod, fishing rod, spoon, etc.
The maximum depth of the lake is 42 m, the average depth is approximately 9–10 m.
Fishing on Lake Velje is permitted, but, as throughout the national park, seasonality and fishing rules are regulated by the state. The fishing season opens on Lake Velje after the ice melts: during this period it is allowed to fish from a boat with a fishing rod. From mid-May it is allowed to fish with spinning rods on a rowing boat, and in mid-June fishing on an inflatable boat opens.
If desired, the catch can be immediately cooked on a fire or grill: there are specially equipped places for this.
Velier
Shimmering in the sun, hidden in the centuries-old forests of the Novgorod region, rests the almost immense mirror of Lake Velye. This place hides from prying eyes a country of untouched, deep silence. There is always crystal clear air in which bird voices ring.
The lake in question spreads its glorious shores in the Novgorod region, forty kilometers southwest of Valdai. This territory is surrounded by pristine forests that grow on the territory of the Valdai National Park. If we talk about the west and north of Russia, then we can confidently say that Velje is the most beautiful lake that exists there. Being located almost equally distant from St. Petersburg and Moscow, this place can surprise even the most demanding tourist with its natural beauty.
If we talk about the size of the area, it is worth noting that the length of this reservoir from south to north is approximately 25 km. The shores of Lake Velje are high and hilly. According to the most conservative estimates, Velje is dotted with approximately 200 islands, unique in their beauty and nature, which have different origins and sizes. For example, in the very east of the lake, you can admire floating land masses up to 100 meters in diameter. In the west, the stormy and rapids Yavon River flows from Velje, which flows into Pola, and then into Ilmen. In the east of Lake Velye, the Velevsky Canal originates, which connected this lake with the Libya River, and then with Lake Shlino.
The terrain where the described lake is located is undulating, heterogeneous, and the water that fills the reservoir is very fresh and clean, because the lake itself is of glacial origin. Locals believe that you can even drink water from the lake without fear of getting sick. As for the difference in depth, on Vella it is 42 meters. The average depth is approximately 10 meters.
The history of Velje goes back centuries, which means it is fraught with many stories and legends. If you count all the legends that locals can tell you about this body of water, the number could be more than 20! Agree, this is quite a lot for one single reservoir. The unique, truly divine beauty of these places is created by airy pine forests, birch groves and spruce forests. Arriving in Velje, you will be able to hear the rustling of ancient Russian forests, the first mention of which dates back to the Tale of Bygone Years. These dense, pristine forests are home to a huge variety of wildlife. If you are keen on hunting, then you can safely go after bear, elk, wild boar, as well as various kinds of birds.
The bottom of Velje is usually sandy, but in some places there is silt on it. It boasts a huge variety of fish, which means excellent fishing. In its waters you can find bream, pike, perch, pike perch, carp and about 20 other species of fish. In these places the climate is temperate continental, mild, healing, and in some way similar to the sea. As a rule, the summer here is sunny and cool, and the winter is snowy and mild. In summer, the water temperature in the lake reaches 25 degrees. At this time, you can simply sunbathe and swim on the secluded, clean beaches of the lake. In winter, this is a real haven for fans of fishing and lovers of skiing. The feeling of flying on a snowmobile on a beautiful lake, which is completely frozen in ice, is also indescribable. In this place you can completely forget about the bustle of the city and enjoy the beautiful nature. Clean air will do everything it can to make you feel great.
Recreation centers on Lake Velje
Lake Velje has rugged shores and a large area; its shores are sandy but hilly, which attracts lovers of secluded recreation.
To experience all the beauty of nature in the Lake Velje area, it makes sense to stay here overnight or for several days. For these purposes, recreation centers are located throughout the coast. They have different conditions and price categories, most offer tourists secluded houses on the shore of the lake.
Recreation centers are located along almost the entire coast of the lake, so there is a choice based on distance from populated areas, price category and availability of amenities.
The most popular among visitors are the recreation centers “Lake Velje” and “Great Lake”. The first is located on the shore of the lake, the housing consists of separate wooden houses with a bathroom on the street. At the bases it is possible to rent beach equipment and fishing boats. The second base is located a little further from the shore, you will have to walk to it. But the path runs through coniferous and mixed forests and country roads, it will not be noticeable.
Lake Veljo
Lake Velyo is located on the spurs of the Valdai Upland in the southeastern part of the Novgorod region, very close to the border with the Tver region. Finding it on the map is very easy, since it is located exactly north of Lake Seliger. The isthmus between these lakes is only a few kilometers long, but their waters do not intersect.
Getting to the lake is now easy using both public transport and a private car. Until twenty-five years ago, the passage of personal vehicles was regulated by the military due to several strategic bases in the surrounding areas. Now they have been eliminated and travel is free.
If you are traveling by public transport, you need to take a train to the Valdai station on the Oktyabrskaya Railway. Walk about two kilometers from the railway station to the bus station and board a regular bus going to Bolshoy Ukleino, to Nikolskoye or to Demyansk. In the first case, you will find yourself in the northern part of the lake, in the second - in the middle, and in the last case - in any part of the western coast of Lake Veljo.
There are several large settlements here, the largest of which is the village of Nikolskoye. It is known to experts because the first Soviet state fish farm is located and operates here.
If you go by private car, not only the western, but also the eastern coast will be accessible, although not along its entire length. There are no approaches to the shore between Sukhaya Vetosha and Simanikha. Vishnevka can still be reached by car, then all the best places are accessible on foot or by boat.
In the city of Valdai, without leaving the Leningradskoye Shosse (390 km from Moscow), on the left side there will be a single turn onto a secondary road. It leads to Bolshoye Ukleino, from which the lake begins. To be precise, Lake Ukleino is located here, which is connected by a channel to Lake Veljo. In B. Ukleino you need to make a choice whether to go towards Demyansk or towards Simanikha. The last path is short, since there is no road after Simanikha.
The places here are the most saturated with tourists and have not been of interest to fishermen for ten years. There is another very good access in the eastern part of the lake, through Sukhaya Vetosha, or further through Baluevo. But this road is not very similar to a highway, so it is worth putting a fairly experienced driver behind the wheel. It’s possible to fish from the shore here only at the source of the Libya River, which flows from Lake Velyo and flows into the famous Lake Shlino.
The wealth of the lake at the end of the last century consisted of native and locally adapted fish of the salmon and smelt families - whitefish, Chud whitefish, peled, ripus, vendace, and smelt. And this is not counting the huge herd of bream, roach, perch and pike. Overgrown, hard-to-reach bays are home to tenches of great size and beauty.
It becomes more and more difficult to stay overnight here in the summer every year. There are two reasons. Firstly, Leningraders and Muscovites bought up almost all the vacant old houses and converted them into dachas. This happened in a very “civilized” manner, since all sanitary standards for water use were observed. But finding overnight accommodation in the villages became problematic.
Secondly, on Lake Veljo the rules governing the presence of “wild” tourists on its shores have always been observed. This was monitored not only by fisheries inspectors and commercial fishermen, but also by all local residents. Today, there are certain permitted parking areas on the shores of the lake. There are attempts to organize fishing bases on the shores of the lake, but everything takes time.
The good thing is that if you are not allowed to put up a tent directly on the shore, then no one will prohibit you from placing a tent fifty meters from the shore. But they will also make sure that you do not litter here. The beauty of the places around the lake is worth such care.
If you don’t have a boat, then the most effective way is to use feeder gear and spinning rods. Using bottom rigs using worms, maggots and caddis flies as bait, you can catch bream and roach well in almost any place, and you can often catch decent-sized bream.
Fishing with a spinning rod will have to be done by wading, since the coastal zone is almost everywhere shallow. The catches consist of medium-sized perch and pike weighing up to one and a half kilograms.
If the purpose of visiting the lake is precisely fishing, then it is absolutely necessary to have a boat with you, preferably a motor one. Motorized, not only to be able to quickly cover 5–10 km across the lake, but also to quickly go to the shore in case of bad weather. The weather here is close to northern, meaning a wave half a meter high can appear literally within twenty minutes. And this is dangerous.
The best places to relax in summer
Such places are located in the Vishnevka area, but the most convenient way to get to them is by boat. To do this, you should leave your vehicle near Nikolskoye or in Simanikha. And then along the water.
A very good place for a summer anchorage is on an island in close proximity to the village of Baluevo. In front of the island and opposite Baluevo there are quite deep places where huge schools of roach hang out all summer. A flood begins behind the island. A flood is a multi-kilometer flood, with a depth of no more than three meters. Everything is overgrown with vegetation. This is a spawning ground in the spring, and in the summer the kingdom of pikes and perches.
If you swim or drive to the source of the Libya, there are several places to stop both on the shore and on numerous islands. You should beware of snakes.
A very good place for summer fishing is located opposite the village of Velyo. Here the lake is divided into two reaches - northern and southern. Directly opposite the upper houses of the village of Veljo there is a vast island that was flooded many years ago. The riverbed runs along the shore where Veljo is located. The underwater island is no more than three hundred meters away.
From the shore, white bream and ide are caught very well using match gear at a fishing distance of about 30 m. Using a boat when catching peaceful fish is completely unreasonable, since the water is clear and the fish are well-fed. The fish moves away from the boat at a distance of at least twenty meters.
It makes sense to catch a predator over the flooded island opposite the village of Velyo. Here pike form schools and, like perch, hunt collectively, chasing small roach. The depth here is about two meters. Very effective are light and medium weight spinners from the Norwegian, spinners from Mepps and Muran of the Wipp series in white and red colors.
The material was published in the one hundred and thirty-second issue of the “Go Fishing” party
Weather on Lake Velje
A characteristic feature of the local climate is the abundance of strong winds, so the weather can change quite quickly.
Temperature fluctuations are especially characteristic of the autumn period. For example, during the day it may be +30 °C, and by evening the thermometer will drop to +7+9. Therefore, those who go to Lake Velje are advised to always have warm clothes with them.
In summer, the water temperature of Lake Velje rises to +25 °C, providing the best conditions for swimming and relaxation.
Characteristic
Lake Velye is considered the cleanest in northwestern Russia; its waters are absolutely transparent even at a depth of several meters. The water is suitable for drinking without filtering.
The lake has an area of 292 square meters. km. Four rivers flow into it, which also contributes to its full flow.
Lake Velje is of glacial origin. The reservoir is frozen: from late November to mid-April the lake is covered with a layer of ice. In winter, visiting it is possible only for the purpose of recreation; fishing is prohibited. It is allowed from April, when the lake is free of ice.
Kayak fishing
Luckily for me, the owner of the base had some gear, so I temporarily got hold of a cheap rod with a reel of the same quality. Together with a friend, we decided to go fishing, swimming somewhere far away in a kayak. By the way, for those who didn’t know, I recommend it for amateur fishing; a kayak is an irreplaceable thing; you can use it to go to really impassable places. The low draft, lack of a motor and flat bottom allow you to pass through grass, small thickets of reeds, and float over trees lying in the water.
How to get to Lake Velye in the Novgorod region
Due to its fairly close location to the largest cities of Russia - Moscow (about 400 km) and St. Petersburg (just over 300 km), the transport network is well developed in this area.
First you need to get to Valdai Park, and then to Lake Velye. It is located 30 km from the city of Valdai.
There are different ways to get there by public transport. For example, by train from Moscow (from Leningradsky station). Train schedule is here.
Intercity buses run from St. Petersburg. They depart from the central bus station on the Obvodny Canal. From the city of Valdai to coastal villages, it is possible to get a passing car or use mobile taxi applications: Yandex. Taxi, Uber, Gett and others.
The most convenient way to get to Lake Velye is by car : the republican highway Moscow - St. Petersburg (M10) runs from west to east through the territory of the national park. From Valdai you need to follow the signs. Travel time from cities is from 5 to 6 hours.
Route from St. Petersburg by car to Lake Velje - Google maps:
Route from Moscow:
Video review of Lake Velye in the Novgorod region:
