AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Lake Pile (Jezioro Pile) is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the Drawsko Lakeland of northwestern Poland, a broad, clear sheet of water fringed by forest and bordered on its south shore by the small town of Borne Sulinowo. It is the biggest of the 57 lakes in the Borne Sulinowo commune and the second-largest water body in the surrounding Szczecinek county.↗↗
What draws visitors here is the variety packed into one lake: sailing and motorboating on open water with no noise-restriction zone, a celebrated kayak route down the river Piława that runs straight through it, sandy beaches for swimming, rich fishing, and an underwater sunken forest that makes it one of Poland's most unusual places to scuba dive.↗↗
A large, deep lakeland water
Lake Pile is a classic glacial morainic lake — long, deep and irregular, with a shoreline broken into numerous bays. Its surface covers close to 1,000 hectares, and the water stretches more than 9 km from end to end, with an uninterrupted shoreline of roughly 30 km once you exclude the islands. While the average depth is about 12 m, the deepest hollows plunge past 40 m (some surveys put the maximum at over 50 m), which is why the lake stays remarkably clean and supports a healthy range of fish.↗↗↗
Two small islands sit in the lake, and dense reed beds line much of the shore, where fallen trees tumble straight into deep water and form hiding places for fish. That mix of clear water, varied bottom and abundant fish life has made the lake a venue for fishing competitions, some of national standing — perch, pike, vendace and bream are among the catches.↗↗
The sunken forest and underwater diving
The lake's most intriguing feature lies beneath the surface, near the island closest to Borne Sulinowo. Here part of the lakebed subsided, dragging trees down with it, and today a whole sunken forest stands on the bottom — trunks rising as much as 16 m underwater, an eerie and rare sight by Polish diving standards. Whether the collapse was a natural sink or the aftermath of unexploded munitions left by the wartime and later Soviet military presence remains a matter of local debate, but the sunken timber is real, and eels and schools of perch shelter among the branches. It makes Pile one of the country's most attractive scuba spots, with dive bases operating on the lake.↗↗↗
Kayaking the Piława and water sports
The river Piława flows right through the lake, and the stretch running south from it — through the Nadarzyce backwaters toward the village of Dobrzyca, where the Piława joins the Gwda river — is one of the most popular kayak routes in Pomerania. Paddlers can combine open-lake crossings with a gentle river glide through forest and wetlands. The lake itself is open to both sailors and motorboaters, since it is not covered by a quiet-water zone, and canoe, pedal boat and other water-sport rentals are available around the shore.↗↗
Beaches, the Eagle's Head and wandering the shore
For a slower day, the lake's edges offer sandy bathing beaches, small harbours and plenty of room to walk or cycle. On the Borne Sulinowo side, a peninsula whose shape is said to resemble an eagle's head (Półwysep Głowa Orła) is set aside as a scenic spot with a walking trail and resting places; the easiest approach is from ulica Lipowa. With 30 km of developed shoreline and surrounding woodland and heath, the area rewards lakeside strolls, and in the wetter margins you may spot herons and cranes overhead and salamanders or toads near the reeds.↗↗↗
Borne Sulinowo and staying on the lake
The lake's south shore is held by Borne Sulinowo, one of Poland's youngest towns, which until the early 1990s was a sealed Soviet garrison. After the Red Army withdrew, the town and its abandoned military range became a tourist draw in their own right, and a good spread of guesthouses, restaurants and lakeside campsites has grown up around the water. Staying at a camping ground or tent site by the lake — often with a fire pit or barbecue — is the most atmospheric way to experience it.↗↗
What makes it special
A little planning goes a long way
- Plan water-based days around summer (roughly May–September), when beaches, kayak rentals and boat activity are in full swing; the deep, clean water is well suited to swimming.↗
- For the sunken forest, dive through an organised diver base rather than attempting it solo — visibility and depth vary, and access points on the Borne Sulinowo side are the easiest starting place.↗↗
- If you cycle or walk, the lake's roughly 30 km shoreline and the Eagle's Head peninsula (access from ulica Lipowa) make natural routes; combine a lakeside loop with a visit to Borne Sulinowo's former Soviet garrison area.↗↗↗
- Kayakers can link the lake to the Piława river route heading south toward the Gwda near Dobrzyca — a well-established multi-day or half-day paddling option.↗
- For up-to-date local information, the Borne Sulinowo tourist centre (ulica Bolesława Chrobrego 3A) is open weekdays and Saturday morning.
About this guide
Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.
