Sakhya Sagar Lake

About Sakhya Sagar Lake

Sakhya Sagar was created in the 1920s on the Manier river in Shivpuri district, and it flanks Madhav National Park along one side. The pairing matters: lake and park together hold the water table and the habitat steady across this stretch of country, which is why a reservoir of this age reads as part of the landscape rather than as an installation on it.

The lake carries a notable reptile population. Marsh crocodiles are the species most visitors come hoping to see, along with Indian pythons and monitor lizards on the banks and in the scrub around the water. A boat club operates on the lake and runs rides out across it, which is the usual way visitors spend their time here, and it also gives a low, close view of the shoreline the road cannot.

On and around the lake

Marsh crocodiles

The lake supports a resident marsh crocodile population, usually seen hauled out on banks and shallows rather than in open water. Patience and a pair of binoculars do more here than moving around.

Pythons and monitor lizards

Indian pythons and monitor lizards are both found around the lake. They are far less visible than the crocodiles but are part of what makes this reptile population worth noting.

The boat club

A boat club operates on the lake and takes visitors out over the water. From a boat the banks, the birdlife and the reptiles along the edges all come much closer than they do from the shore.

The park edge

One side of the lake runs along Madhav National Park, so the shoreline doubles as a park boundary and brings forest wildlife down to the water.

Planning your visit

A visit here is usually a couple of hours, built around a boat ride and some time watching the banks.

• Check whether boat operations are running on your dates and what the last ride time is.
• Carry binoculars; crocodiles on a far bank are easy to miss without them.
• Keep well back from the water's edge when walking the shore.
• Combine with George Castle, which looks down on this lake from inside the park.

Best time to visit

October to March is the best stretch, with comfortable weather and good visibility across the water. Crocodiles bask most readily in the cooler months, which makes winter mornings and late afternoons the strongest hours for seeing them out of the water. The monsoon raises levels and can interrupt boating.