Gadsar Lake, also called Yemsar, is a high alpine lake at about 3,600 metres in Ganderbal district, below Gadsar Pass. Gadsar means the lake of fishes in Kashmiri. It measures roughly 850 by 760 metres, smaller than nearby Krishansar, and it freezes hard from late autumn.
Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency registered as JKTA00003978 since 2011, arranges the road and base logistics for trekking groups crossing this route. Kashmir packages start near ₹6,350 per person, two sharing.
By Duke Kashmir Travels Team · Reviewed by Rayies Ahmad Zargar, Founder · Published · Updated
Key takeaways
- About 3,600 metres above sea level, in the Ganderbal high country.
- Roughly 0.85 km long by 0.76 km wide — smaller than Krishansar.
- Named the lake of fishes; trout are its best known inhabitants.
- Sits below Gadsar Pass, crossed on the Great Lakes route.
- Alpine flowers ring the shore through the short season.
- Frozen and unreachable in winter.
Where does Gadsar sit on the trek?
Below Gadsar Pass, between the Krishansar and Vishansar basin and the descent towards Satsar, on the Kashmir Great Lakes route.
Groups usually cross the pass in the morning and camp near the lake. The alternative approach comes up from Naranag, which is why the lake also appears on Harmukh itineraries.
What is the lake like?
A small, deep, very clear tarn in a meadow bowl, with snow patches on the surrounding slopes for most of the season.
Its Kashmiri name refers to the fish in it. The flowers around the shore in July are among the reasons this stretch of the trek is so well known.
When can it be reached?
Late June to early September. Outside that the pass is under snow and the lake is frozen.
This is high, exposed ground; altitude is felt and the weather changes quickly. We handle the Srinagar end and the transfers to the trailheads. See Kashmir tour ideas for how trekking days fit around a valley itinerary.
Booking this with us
Behind the itineraries: Duke Kashmir Travels, a Srinagar agency carrying tourism registration JKTA00003978 from March 2011, IATO membership ALD150928 and a seat in the JK Tourism Council. Details on About Us.
Give us the dates and the number of travellers; the itinerary and the quote come back the same day. +91 9018 44 0000, info@dukekashmirtravels.com, or the contact page.
About the founder
Duke Kashmir Travels is owned and run by its founder, Rayies Ahmad Zargar, who set it up in Srinagar in 2011 and checks these destination pages himself. LinkedIn.