It has a length of 182 km, a width of up to 60 km, and covers an area of 6,332 km². This makes it one of the largest mountain lakes in the world. Located at an altitude of 1,620m, it reaches 702m in depth.
Issyk Kul lake is slightly saline and remains ice-free in winter.
In the Soviet era, the lake became a popular vacation resort, with numerous boarding houses and vacation homes.
The city of Karakol is located near the eastern tip of the lake.
See also: Balasagun
Ysyk-Kol Oblasty is one of the 6 oblastlar of Kyrgyzstan. Its capital is Karakol.