Venna Lake is a small reservoir just outside the Mahabaleshwar town centre, built by the British in the 1840s and now the most popular family destination in the hill station. The atmosphere is more funfair than nature reserve — horse rides, paddle boats, and stalls selling roasted corn and fresh strawberry cream crowd the lakeside — but it is genuinely pleasant on a cool morning before the crowds arrive.
Rowboats are available for hire and the lake is surrounded by forest that comes close to the water's edge. For photographers, the early morning mist over the lake before the crowds arrive can be beautiful. The boat jetty is a 10-minute walk from the main bazaar. On summer and festival weekends the numbers are large enough to make the approach roads slow; the lake is best mid-week or out of season (October–January is ideal).