Hebbal Lake
One of the three lakes built by Kempe Gowda in 1537, Hebbal lake is spread across 150 acres in north of Bengaluru at the mouth of National Highway 7. The lake is eutrophic because of the inflow of sewage so the nutrients support the growth of water hyacinth and Typha in the shallow zone. It is home to many species of water birds including large waterbirds such as the spot-billed pelican, Eurasian spoonbill, shoveller, pintail, garganey, little grebe, coot and spot-billed duck.
Kaikondrahalli Lake
The lake is maintained by the residents of Sarjapur area and is an ideal place for bird watching. Spread over 48 acres, the almost dying lake was revived by the residents in 2009 and today serves to render facilities such as a running track and recreational spots.
Ulsoor Lake
Spread over 123.6 acres, Ulsoor lake is one of the biggest lakes in the city. Though the lake is dated to Kempegowda’s time, its present look was created by Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring, commissioner of Mysuru between 1862 and 1870. Once covered with dense forest the lake as of today is sprawled across an area of approximately 1.5 kms and has two springs covered with heavy silt. It still serves to attract tourists with parks, fountains, boating facilities and children’s play area.
Lalbagh Lake
The lake is situated at the southern end of the Botanical Gardens, known for its flower show and a major tourist spot. Spreading across an area of about 40 acres with a depth of 3.5 metres, the lake is the source of water for plants and trees in the garden. Established in the year 1760 by Hyder Ali, it is believed that the lake was one of the main reasons for Hyder Ali to set up the park. James Cameroon commissioned the lake in 1890 to provide water to the botanical garden.
Sankey Tank
The manmade lake is situated in the middle of Malleshwaram and covers an area of over 37 acres. The lake was built for a utility purpose by Col. Richard Hieram Sankey of the Madras Sappers Regiment, in 1882, to meet the water supply demands of the city. Today, it boasts landscaped parks and is a major tourist spot, beautiful to catch a sunrise or sunset.