Ørum Lake and Flade Lake

The lakes

The large, shallow lakes, Flade Lake (485 hectares) and Ørum Lake (442 hectares), were originally a part of the Krik Vig inlet, but they became lakes when, because of drifting sand, they were cut off from the inlet. Until the mid-1800s, the lakes formed a continuous lake area. In 1868, there was an attempt to drain the lakes, but after a few years of cultivation of the lakebed, the attempt was given up because cultivation was unprofitable. Today Flade Lake is situated behind a protective sea dyke, and the two lakes are separated by a road on another dyke.  The smaller Roddenbjerg Lake (18 hectares) between the lakes is more recent and is the result of peat-digging.

A habitat for otters

The highly nutritious Ørum Lake is a part of the Hvidbjerg River system, and the lake has an outlet to Krik Vig inlet through Roddenbjerg Lake and Kastet River. The lake and stream-system are a Natura 2000 area, and are therefore protected.

The Hvidbjerg River system is a key area for the otter, which has a stable population here. The stream system is furthermore habitat or at least a potential habitat for the rare lamprey, a blood-sucking species of fish that resembles an eel.

Plants and animals

You can occasionally find forests of reeds by Flade Lake. On the tidal meadows several species of orchids grow, including early marsh orchid and western marsh orchid, but also sea asters and common cottongrass.

Flade Lake has a good fish population with a great number of species, including perch, roach, bream, pike, whitefish, eel and especially zander. Both Flade Lake and Ørum Lake have a rich bird life. There are large numbers of waterfowl and wading birds. Breeding birds include greylag goose, shelduck, Eurasian teal, common ringed plover, redshank and black-tailed godwit. Of the lake’s resting birds note in particular the common pochard, common merganser and red-breasted merganser, golden plover, whimbrel and the bearded reedling.

Canoeing and fishing

Canoeing is allowed from 15 June to 31 December. Canoe rental is from 15 July. See canoe renters at www.visitthy.dk.

Fishing licences for fishing from the bank of Flade Lake can be purchased at Thy Tourist Office, Jernbanegade 4, 7760 Hurup.