Karakaska

Karakaska (Қарақасқа; Каракаска) is a salt lake in the Aktogay District, Pavlodar Region, Kazakhstan.

The lake lies 54 km to the southwest of Aktogay, the district capital. The area surrounding the lake is used for livestock grazing.

Geography
Karakaska is an endorheic lake of the Ishim Plain, at the southern end of the West Siberian Plain. It is part of the Irtysh river basin. The lake lies at an elevation of 93 m. The Irtysh flows 56 km to the northeast of the lake.

Karakaska has a roughly triangular shape. Most of the shore is flat and low, but stretches of the northern and southern parts are rocky, with 4 m to 5 m high cliffs. The lake usually dries in the summer, turning pink before drying out.

There are a number of other lakes in its vicinity, such as Taikonyr 33 km to the east, Shyganak 49 km to the west, Zhalauly 65 km to the WNW, Sholaksor 75 km to the southwest, and Zhamantuz 22 km to the NNE. 6 km to the southwest lies a cluster of four smaller lakes: Karkaraly, Koybagar, Bastuz and an unnamed one.

Flora and fauna
Karakaska is surrounded by steppe vegetation. It is known as a "dead lake" (тұйық көл) in Kazakh. No fish live in its waters. The water of the lake is not suitable for watering cattle.