Derwentwater

Derwentwater is about five kilometres long and unusually shallow for a Lake District lake, mostly under six metres, which makes it warm quickly and freeze more readily than its neighbours. Four wooded islands sit in it, and a fifth appears intermittently: the Floating Island off Lodore is a mat of vegetation and peat lifted to the surface by gases from decaying material beneath, surfacing in some summers and not others, recorded since the eighteenth century. Launches run a circuit with seven landing stages, so any stretch of shore can be walked one way and boated back. Friar's Crag, a short walk from Keswick, is a standard viewpoint down the lake to the Jaws of Borrowdale. Lodore Falls drops at the southern end and needs heavy rain to be worth the visit.

What you actually see

• The Floating Island - a peat mat that surfaces off Lodore in some summers.
• The four wooded islands - including Derwent Isle, occasionally opened to visitors.
• The launch circuit - seven landing stages allowing walk-one-way trips.
• Friar's Crag - the classic view south into the Jaws of Borrowdale.

When to go

April to October for launches and walking; the shallow lake often freezes in cold winters, which is rare in the district. Autumn colour around the shore is strong in late October.

Honest expectations

Keswick is very busy in season and parking is expensive and limited. Lodore Falls is a trickle in dry weather. The shore path floods regularly at the northern end, and sections have been closed for long periods after storm damage.

Nearby

Keswick and Castlerigg are close; Borrowdale runs south to Honister.