The Falkertsee in a height of 1.872 m has all the characteristics of a high Alpine lake. It is embedded in the quartz phyllites of the mountain chain Gurker Alpen. The lake is ice- covered for about 5 months. During the summer months it reaches a relatively high surface temperature of sometimes more than 13 °C.The vegetation of the surrounding is poor, there is no shore-zone vegetation.
Popular free-time-resort. Directly in the catchment area there are hotels, snack-bars and weekend bungalows.
There are 5 species of fish:
Krook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)
Char (Salvelinus alpinus)
American char (Salvelinus namaycush)
Brown trout (Salmo tutta f. fario)
Minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus)
The stock of char in the Falkertsee has been known since the Middle- Ages (WAGNER, 1948). The input of char in the town-creek of Friesach could possibly have its origin in the Falkertsee. Wulfen also mentions the char in Falkertsee about 200 years ago. (HONSIG- ERLENBURG & MILDNER, 1996) In former times the chars were rather small and called “Schwarzreuter” and even today they do not grow much larger.
Stocking of not native fish. The not native American char and brool trout were stocked in 1986 and 87 and have appeared as direct food rivals of our native char. (TRAER & WOSCHITZ, 1988). In spite of a relatively high density of char they stocked more year by year. This can be seen as a negative act ecologically as well according to fishing management. Because of the rivalry the fish cannot grow up. The formerly high population of minnow has reduced strongly.
The fishing-authority belongs to the Österreichischen Bundesforste and was leased to the Sportshotel Köfer.