The lakefront is why Cholpon-Ata swells in summer. The beaches are mostly pebbly, the water is cold and clear, and the horizon is wide enough to make Issyk-Kul feel more like an inland sea than a mountain lake.
Do not expect a polished Mediterranean promenade. The appeal is more local and seasonal: families renting loungers, music from cafes, children in the shallows, and mountains sitting beyond the blue water.