Wular Lake, about 60 km northwest of Srinagar near Bandipora, is one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes and a significant wetland ecosystem of a completely different character from Dal Lake. Where Dal is intimate and densely inhabited, Wular is vast and exposed — at its maximum (which varies dramatically with the season) it covers over 200 square kilometres, though it has shrunk significantly from its historical extent due to siltation and encroachment. The Jhelum River flows through it.
The lake is a major wintering ground for migratory birds and an important fishery. The fishing communities on its shores — particularly around the town of Sopore — have worked the lake for generations. A day trip from Srinagar gives a very different picture of Kashmiri lake culture: larger-scale, more agricultural, less tourist-oriented. The approach road through the valley floor passes through some of the most productive orchard country in India — the apple and walnut orchards that make this stretch of Kashmir look like a Mughal miniature painting in autumn, with the Pir Panjal range visible to the south and the Poonch range to the north.