Lake Ohrid is a lake which straddles the mountainous border between the southwestern part of North Macedonia and eastern Albania. It is one of Europe's deepest and oldest lakes, with a unique aquatic ecosystem of worldwide importance. Lake Ohrid, excels as a unique ecosystem, together with the surrounding area. In 1980 it was declared as World Natural and Cultural Heritage Center by UNESCO, for its unique flora and fauna. The Romans, during Julius Caesar’s rule, gave it the name Lychnidus (Lake of Light). The special ecosystem of the Lake is the result of its very old age of about 2-4 million years. It is considered as one of the four oldest lakes in the world. Rich biodiversity with a great number of endemic species characterized not only the Lake but its basin too. These unique features and its fauna have attracted a lot of researches and naturalists. 358 square kilometers, one third of which is in the Republic of Albania, is the total area that the lake covers. It has an elliptic shape, with regular shores and the beautiful peninsula of Lin. The lake is noted for its clear water which allows visibility up to sixteen meters, thanks to its geographic location and hydrological conditions. The water level is constant, with variations of only 20-40 centimeters.
The Albanian shoreline is from the picturesque village of Tushemisht to the village of Lin and is 88 kilometers long. The lake is 695 meters above the sea level. It has tectonic origins and and average depth of 145 meters. Its maximum depth is 289 meters. The entire catchment area is 1042 square kilometers. The lake is mainly fed by Lake Prespa and to a smaller share of nearly 26 percent, 40 rivers and streams. The lake is significant also economically, is addition to its environmental importance. It is one of the richest and most valuable biological reserves in Europe. Over 70 percent of its fish species and over 80 percent of its mollusks are endemic. The absence of the typical fish of European mountainous lake is an interesting fact. There are identified about 17 species of fish of which 10 are endemic. Ohrid trout is a member of the Salmonidae family. It is the main species of the fauna of the lake an it includes four types of fish. Its entire biological cycle is closed in the lake. It spawns naturally from December till March. The incubation period lasts 50-77 days in the lake.