Lake Mola (Brkini)
Mola (also Molja) is a reservoir about 3 km long and around 68 ha, formed by damming the Molja stream near Harije and Soze; a few houses and a mill were flooded when it filled. Like Klivnik it supplements the Reka's low flows and retains floods, so its level fluctuates and the shallow western end can dry out. The most interesting part is the eastern end by the dam, where it is deepest (about 16 m) and visibility best; much of it below 14 m is cold and dark. Fish and plants are found mainly in the warmer shallows, and the muddy bed is strewn with old tree stumps.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Notranjska & Brkini (Cerknica, Postojna, Pivka)
- Depth: 0–16 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: low
- Type: bay
- Coordinates: 45.53576, 14.21184
- Highlights: flooded valley with submerged houses and a mill, 16 m at the dam, 9 m at the anglers' lodge, tree stumps, water plants in the shallows, fish in the warm shallows
- Tips: Drive through Ilirska Bistrica to Koseze, follow signs to Velika Bukovica, then a narrow road south to Mandrgovec and just under 1 km of gravel to the Molja dam; or go to Soze and the anglers' lodge west of the village centre, where a cart track leads into the lake towards the drowned mill. Easiest entry is from the parking by the dam. Bring a torch and suitable suit (22 °C near the surface in summer, 10 °C at 15 m); visibility worsens after rain; no night dives. Under the 2021 Lake Mola navigation decree a 150 m zone in front of the dam and the western spawning area are closed to boats – be visible on the surface and do not disturb the spawning grounds. The SPZ sheet dates from 2014; river gravel, banks and access roads may have changed since.