Skardu's drinking water reservoir, 9km from the city. Trout, a dam, and a 7th century Buddha carved in the cliffs.
| Location | 9km south of Skardu, 15-minute drive. |
| Fishing | Brown trout, rainbow trout. Permit Rs.500-1,000/day from FATA office in Skardu. |
| Satpara Buddha | 7th century Buddhist rock carving near the lake. Ask locals for directions — not signposted. |
| Dam | Satpara Dam provides drinking water and small-scale hydro to Skardu city. |
| Entry | Rs.100 vehicle entry. |
| Combined day | Easy with Katpana Desert (17km away) in a single morning. |
Satpara is Skardu's drinking water reservoir, sitting just 9km south of the city — about a 15-minute drive. Most people come for the calm green water and the easy half-day it makes, but there is more here than a photo stop. The Satpara Dam supplies drinking water and small-scale hydropower to Skardu city, and the lake is stocked with brown and rainbow trout, so anglers come up with a permit for the day.
The quiet highlight is the Satpara Buddha, a 7th-century Buddhist rock carving in the cliffs near the lake — a reminder that this valley sat on old trans-Himalayan routes long before it was a reservoir. It is not signposted, so you will need to ask locals to point you to it. Because the lake pairs so easily with the cold desert at Katpana 17km away, many visitors fold both into a single unhurried morning.
It is 9km south of Skardu, roughly a 15-minute drive.
Yes. The lake holds brown and rainbow trout. You need a permit, around Rs.500-1,000 a day, from the FATA office in Skardu.
A 7th-century Buddhist rock carving in the cliffs near the lake. It is not signposted, so ask locals for directions.
There is a Rs.100 vehicle entry charge.
It works well as a half-day trip, and you can easily combine it with the Katpana Desert 17km away in a single morning.