Kemijärvi’s water levels drop to unusual lows after early ice melt

Residents along the shores of Kemijärvi in Finnish Lapland are witnessing an unusually barren landscape after the lake’s ice disappeared weeks ahead of schedule and water levels were deliberately lowered, Yle reports.

The exposed lakebed, now visible for hundreds of metres in shallow bays, has left stretches of mud and rock where water normally stands several metres deep. Local Sirkka Berg, who has lived by Kaisanlahti bay for decades, said she has never seen the shoreline remain so dry for this long after the ice melts. Normally, water levels begin rising immediately once the ice clears.

“It’s a strange sight,” said Eeva Kenttäkumpu, who visited the area over the weekend. “I’ve never seen the lake so dry before.” She described crossing a bridge where only a small patch of water remained visible below.

The unusual conditions stem from an early spring thaw—melting began in March—and preparations for potential flooding, according to Heikki Poikela, director of continuity management at hydropower company Kemijoki Oy. The firm regulates Kemijärvi’s water levels as part of a network of reservoirs used to manage flow for hydroelectric generation. While the current level is not record-breaking, it sits about two metres below the summer norm.

“Forecasts showed high water content in the snowpack, so we’ve kept levels low as a flood precaution,” Poikela explained. Similar early ice-outs last occurred in 2011. With remaining snowpack still measuring over half a metre in some upstream areas, the company has now begun refilling the lake. Water levels could rise by a metre per day once snowmelt accelerates, Poikela added, with levels expected to approach typical summer heights within two weeks.

The stark contrast between ice-free shores and receded water has drawn attention from locals, some of whom have taken to walking across newly exposed lakebeds. “It’s like walking on water,” Berg noted, while neighbours have begun retrieving fishing lures left stranded during higher water periods.

Elsewhere in Finland, Lake Saimaa has also faced prolonged low water levels for a second consecutive summer, though for drought-related rather than regulatory reasons.