Totak is a large mountain lake in Vinje municipality, covering 37 square kilometres at about 680 metres above sea level. It is 306 metres deep, making it the 11th deepest lake in Norway. The lake was carved out by glaciers and has a fjord-like character, with steep sides dropping into dark water.
The lake is part of the Tokke-Vinje hydropower system. Totak is a regulated reservoir feeding the Tokke power station downstream, which was Norway's largest when it opened in 1961 with a capacity of 430 MW. The regulation means the water level fluctuates, and you can sometimes see a visible shoreline band where the water has dropped. The dam at Leirli controls the outflow.
Despite the regulation, Totak has good fishing for brown trout and Arctic char, both in summer and through the ice in winter. Statkraft is required to stock the lake to compensate for the impact of the regulation on fish populations.
The road from Åmot to Rauland follows the south shore. On a calm day the water reflects the surrounding mountains. When the wind picks up, it can look sea-like. The scale of it is surprising for a mountain lake at this altitude.
The lake is part of the Tokke-Vinje hydropower system. Totak is a regulated reservoir feeding the Tokke power station downstream, which was Norway's largest when it opened in 1961 with a capacity of 430 MW. The regulation means the water level fluctuates, and you can sometimes see a visible shoreline band where the water has dropped. The dam at Leirli controls the outflow.
Despite the regulation, Totak has good fishing for brown trout and Arctic char, both in summer and through the ice in winter. Statkraft is required to stock the lake to compensate for the impact of the regulation on fish populations.
The road from Åmot to Rauland follows the south shore. On a calm day the water reflects the surrounding mountains. When the wind picks up, it can look sea-like. The scale of it is surprising for a mountain lake at this altitude.