Koybagar

Koybagar (Қойбағар; Койбагар) is a lake in the Kostanay Region, Kazakhstan.

Koybagar is a steppe lake of the central sector of the Turgay Basin in Karasu District, Kostanay Region. Karasu village is located 5 km west of the lake. The lake is part of the Koibagar-Tyuntyugur Lake System, a Ramsar site, since 2009.

Geography
Koybagar is an endorheic lake lying in an isolated basin encircled by an unbroken wall of clay cliffs varying in height from 3 m to 10 m. It is located between the larger Kushmurun lake to the west and the smaller Tyuntyugur to the east. The lake stretches roughly from north to south. The Karasu river flows into the western shore of the lake.

In years of heavy snowfall the lake may reach a surface area of 127 sqkm and the water becomes fresh. Usually during the dry season in the summer the lake shrinks, the northern part dries up and the water of the southern part turns brackish. The lakeshore is largely slightly sloping and low-lying.

Fauna
The lake is part of the Koybagar-Tyuntyugur lake group. It is a critical site for waterbirds such as the lesser white-fronted goose, red-breasted goose, glaucous gull and the critically endangered siberian crane. There are ten different fish species in the lake, including perch and pike.