Lago Argentino is a lake in the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, at . It is the largest freshwater lake in Argentina, with a surface area of (maximum width: ). It has an average depth of , and a maximum depth of .
The lake lies within the Los Glaciares National Park in a landscape with numerous glaciers and is fed by the glacial meltwater of several rivers, the water from Lake Viedma brought by the La Leona River, and many mountain streams. Its drainage basin amounts to more than . Waters from Lake Argentino flow into the Atlantic Ocean through the Santa Cruz River.
The glaciers, the nearby town of El Calafate and the lake itself are important tourist destinations. The lake in particular is appreciated for fishing. Perch, common galaxias ("puyen grande"), lake trout and rainbow trout — in both anadromous and Potamodromous forms — are all found.
Lago Argentino was also the name of the airport that served the area until 2000. This airport is currently closed, and its runway was incorporated into the city's road system. It has been replaced by Comandante Armando Tola International Airport, which serves the town of El Calafate and Lago Argentino with many daily national and international flights.
Wildlife
Argentino Lake has a lot of natural wildlife, ranging from Fishes to Mammals.
Fish
Puyen (Galaxias maculatus) and Perca (Percichthys, presumiblemente vinciguerrae), are the two registered species of fish that live in the lake.
Mammals
Very little is known about the mammals that live in Argentino Lake. However, in the 1990s Red Foxes (Dusicyon Culpaeus) were found.
Climate
Argentino Lake has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk).
Gallery
See also
Lake Viedma
Lake San Martín
Puerto Bandera
References
External links
Lake Argentino on the website of the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation Lago Argentino on the website of the government of Santa Cruz (in Spanish) Lago Argentino Airport at World Airport Codes and ICAO World Airfield Catalogue