Lake Inari (Finnish: Inarijärvi/Inarinjärvi, Northern Sami: Anárjávri, Inari Sami: Aanaarjävri, Skolt Sami: Aanarjäuˊrr, Swedish: Enare träsk, Norwegian: Enaresjøen) is the third largest lake in Finland and the largest lake in Sápmi. It is located in the northern part of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The lake is 117–119 meters above sea level and it is regulated at the Kaitakoski power plant in Russia. The freezing period normally extends from November to early June.

The most well known islands of the lake are Hautuumaasaari ("Graveyard Island"), which served as cemetery of ancient Sami people and Ukonkivi ("Ukko's Stone"), a historical sacrifice place of the ancient habitants of the area. There are over 3,000 islands in total. Trout, lake salmon, white fish, perch and pike are found in Lake Inari's waters.

The lake covers 1,040 square kilometres. It empties northwards through the Paatsjoki at the mouth of the Varangerfjord, which is a bay of Barents Sea.

Mentions in media

In 1989, the Lake shortly attracted local attention, after a group of scientists on an expedition gave account to have noticed a blue glow which appeared to have come from within the Lake Inari. Since it was never confirmed and no newspaper articles appeared it is still uncertain whether or not this event actually took place.

Inari village and Lake Inari also feature in the 1998 German movie Zugvögel - ... einmal nach Inari (international English title Trains 'n' Roses) where the protagonist Hannes Weber makes a train journey from Dortmund, Germany to his destination Inari for a train timetable contest.

In Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, the lake is renamed Lake Enara, the home to a clan of witches.

credited to wikipedia and flickr: Kanikoski