Kočevje Mine Lake (Rudniško jezero)
Kočevje's Mine Lake fills the open-pit brown-coal mine that closed in 1978; the pit slowly flooded and now forms a lake of about 1.5 km² and up to 40 m deep. The bottom slopes gently, so dives can start almost anywhere on the shore. With no through-flow, the temperature plunges to around 3 °C below 15 m all year, visibility is poor and the deep bottom is lifeless silt with tree remains and fishing lines. According to the 2012 PAS sheet all the life is in the warm shallows down to 5 m: small fish, many feisty crayfish and the odd freshwater mussel.
Facts
- Region: Slovenia – Lakes, Rivers & Caves
- Area: Dolenjska & Bela krajina (Krka, Kolpa, Kočevje)
- Depth: 0–40 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: low
- Type: bay, night
- Coordinates: 45.6456, 14.87244
- Highlights: crayfish living in sunken junk, freshwater mussels, fast small fish in the 2–5 m shallows, flooded open-pit brown-coal mine, drowned trees and bushes at depth, 3 °C water below 15 m all year
- Tips: In Kočevje drive through the centre towards Šalka vas and follow signs to the bathing area on the south shore. A compass and torch are needed at depth; watch for entanglement in branches and fishing lines. The sheet says there is no point going deeper than about 15 m on a single cylinder in a wetsuit – deeper dives need suitable thermal protection and training. Return along the shore at 2–4 m, which doubles as a safety stop. Visibility worsens when bathers stir the water. The municipal ordinance (Uradni list RS 45/2011) allows diving under the general law but bans it at boat landing points; boats are kept out of marked swimming areas. Sheet from 2012.