Around Lake Deseda

Itinerary

• Starting from the bus stop heading southwest, we soon reach the P mark, from which we head southeast.
• We cross the wooden plank bridge and turn right.
• We follow the P mark all along the eastern side of the lake.
• Reaching the southern end of the lake, we cross the valley dam (unnamed section), then on the western side we head north following the P+ mark and follow it along the lake.
• Upon reaching the P mark, we return to the bus stop along the same road we set out on at the beginning of the route.

About the tour in detail

The Deseda Lake

Its name comes from the medieval village Dershida or Déshida near Somogyaszaló. The settlement was named after the owner Dés or Ders, who collected customs at his bridge. Because of this, in 1975 there was a proposal to officially reinstate the name Déshida, which locals still use for the park forest area. The stream's name was not uniform in the past; different sections had different local names, such as Vérgamási-ditch at Gamás, Sárostó-ditch at Mernye, Szanai-ditch at Somogyaszaló, Csigeti stream at Toponár, and the lower flow was known as Nagygáti stream.

The Deseda Lake was created in 1974 as a flood reservoir covering Kaposvár's industrial water demand by damming the Deseda stream originating in the Gamás area. This created an 8 km long, 245 ha area lake with a 170 km2 catchment area. Its varying bottom shapes and water depths of about 1-3.5 meters have made it a nationally known fishing lake over time.

In spring 1982, the Transdanubian Regional Waterworks experimentally stocked several hundred kilograms of bighead carp into the lake, planned to be harvested in October 1983 and 1984 with a significant drop in water level. However, a sudden heat increase raised the water temperature by 2 degrees, reducing oxygen due to lowered pressure, causing a major ecological disaster. Estimates suggest several hundred kilograms of fish died, though the damage was likely larger. Since 1985, the lake and its surroundings have been a locally significant protected natural area owned by the Kaposvár municipality.

The lake's fish

The lake, popular for fishing tourism, currently hosts a great variety of fish. The main species are carp, grass carp, roach, and crucian carp; among predators, zander, pike, and catfish are most commonly caught. The lake record catfish caught in 2014 was more than two meters long and weighed 99 kg. Notable exotic colors include koi carp and the Chinese rasbora. The former is a Japanese ornamental fish domesticated in the 1820s. Since 'koi' also means love and friendship in Japanese, the fish became a symbol of friendship.

The other species also originates from East Asia. Its global invasion started in the 1960s towards Kazakhstan, where it spread from several fish farms due to the economic introduction of grass carp and bighead carp (then seen similarly in Hungary). The first specimens in Hungary were found in 1963 during the harvesting of the Paks fish farm, and a few years later also appeared in Lake Balaton. Its early growth is rapid, reaching 6.5–7.5 cm by one year when it becomes mature. Growth then slows, so specimens of 9–10 cm are considered large. This resistant fish can survive even drained fishponds and causes damage as a food competitor. Its spawning takes place in a carefully planned ceremony where the male clears a spot on a hard object on the bottom. If a female approves, they perform a courtship dance, floating parallel and trembling, then the female attaches a chain of eggs to the cleaned spot while rubbing her body. The male fertilizes the eggs by mimicking the female's movements. After spawning, the female leaves while the male guards the eggs until they hatch.

Protected fish species living in the lake include the spined loach and the European weatherfish, as well as the rainbow gudgeon. The former were very common in our marshes before major water regulations—so much so that there was a specialized fishing branch for them. The loaches were sold by the barrel in markets; according to Apáczai Csere János's Hungarian Encyclopedia (1655), the weatherfish "has very good taste, nourishes well, and teaches good manners." Over 15 dishes were made from it, the most famous being loach cabbage.

The rainbow gudgeon, once a popular aquarium fish thanks to the rainbow stripe along its side before its protection, was also valued by anglers as excellent bait for zander. This fish, up to 8 cm long, is native to most of Europe but has naturalized in England and North America due to stocking. It also follows an interesting spawning strategy, requiring the presence of freshwater mussels or swan mussels in the habitat. The mature female, reaching sexual maturity at 2 years, lays 60–80 eggs in multiple batches inside the mussel's gill cavity using her long ovipositor. After each egg placement, the male swims above the mussel, releasing milt, which enters the eggs with the mussel's respiration, providing complete protection. The young develop inside the mussel gill plates until absorption of the yolk sac. As spawning can be delayed, eggs are laid in multiple batches, allowing multiple cohorts to grow simultaneously inside the "mussel cradle." This fish has also been used to test various pharmaceutical hormones and, based on a method developed in 1949, allowed gender determination of fetuses with 80–90% accuracy between the 3rd and 8th months of pregnancy.

The eastern shore

Starting from the bus stop heading southwest, we soon reach the P mark, continuing southeast. We cross the pedestrian bridge of the lake next to one of the Deseda canoe route’s stops. Alongside the fishing dock, we walk calmly through the forest; several spots beneath the trees offer splendid views of the lake and the opposite shore. On the pleasant forest section by the water, we walk on the edge of the lakeside reed beds, then the mixed forest path suddenly turns left, and we head east on a shore road. The short ascent leads to a wider macadam road with a rest bench along its edge. We then turn right under an old pine avenue, following the path through the forest to the southern tip of the peninsula extending into the lake. Here is a good spot to pause: excellent views open to the south part of the lake and the Deseda lookout. Crossing a bridge, we reach the lake’s eastern shore, where another rest awaits us and a further stop of the canoe route floats in the water.

With a right bend heading to the lake's southern part, after a few hundred meters we reach the first houses of Toponár, a district of Kaposvár. The reed patches broken into small spots are followed by lawns with benches. Our route soon continues along Hullám street, where we walk under willows to the Toponár boat dock.

After a large bend, we reach the Deseda boathouse with a playground nearby. Soon after, we pass by a rickety wooden hut on iron legs, which was the judges’ tower for the two-day motorboat race held in October 1986. During the competition, two world and three national records were set.

Heading further south, we arrive at the modern Fekete István Visitor Center on the lakeshore, where we can learn about the wildlife of the lake and its surroundings. The huge aquarium offers a glimpse into the fish fauna of Deseda Lake. Excursion boats depart from here, and we can also rent boats if we want to explore the lake on our own.

After the building and the plastic heron, we can observe the lake’s birds from a birdwatching blind leading into the reed beds. The complex also has a playground.

The western shore

Approaching the southern end of the lake, we pass the renovated Toponár beach (2018), then reach the unmarked valley dam trail by a small climb. Crossing it, on the lake’s western side, we head north next to the water management building, following the P+ mark. Unlike the eastern shore, we’ll mostly walk on asphalt here, which is also a bike path—let's be especially careful if we have children! Along the way, there are also rain shelters.

Soon we continue on a short path along the lake shore and then reach the bike path. About halfway around the lake, we arrive at the Deseda lookout. The three-story, triangular floor plan, modern design building was designed child-friendly: the playground made of wood has truly spectacular attractions, including a mini climbing wall and soft walkable surfaces resembling playful little fish, beloved by younger visitors. The repertoire is completed by benches and a modern small house that doubles as a rain shelter. The impressive building is open year-round. From here, mostly arable fields border our way. Finally, we return to the bus stop along the P mark on the same road we started from at the beginning of the route.