Zaisan

Lake in East Kazakhstan oblast (region) of Kazakhstan, situated between the Tarbagetay and Altai Mountains, and close to the border with China. Lake Zaisan, which is frozen from November to the end of April, receives the waters of the Black Irtysh River (Kara Irtysh; Chinese Ertix He) and itself drains into the main Irtysh (Ertis) River. It supports a fishing industry and is navigable.

The area of the lake was greatly swelled by the Bukhtarma hydroelectric power scheme, a major project on the Irtysh which began in 1953 and came on-stream in 1966.