Waters

Danube

The Danube is Europe's second-longest river; the German reach holds Danube-specific species such as zobel and zope.

The Elbe drains much of central Germany and is one of Europe's last largely unobstructed river systems.

The Oder forms the German-Polish border and supports Baltic sturgeon, ziege and zope.

Rhine

The Rhine is Germany's largest river by discharge and a key migration corridor for salmon, sea trout and twaite shad.

The Weser is formed by the Werra and Fulda and reaches the North Sea at Bremerhaven.

The Ammersee is an oligotrophic alpine lake with coregonid stocks.

Lake Constance

Lake Constance is Germany's largest lake and a major drinking-water reservoir. It is a shared border lake between Germany and Switzerland.

The Chiemsee is Bavaria's largest lake and an important waterbird breeding area.

The Ems crosses the northwest German lowlands and is shaped by tidal estuaries.

Finow Canal

The Finow Canal is one of Germany's oldest artificial waterways.

The Havel is a lake-rich Elbe tributary and forms the backbone of Brandenburg's waterways.

The Inn rises in Switzerland and joins the Danube at Passau.

The Isar is an alpine Danube tributary with a pronounced salmonid and grayling zone.

The Main is the Rhine's main right-bank tributary, linked to the Danube by the Main-Danube Canal.

Main–Danube Canal

The Main–Danube Canal connects the North Sea and Black Sea waterways.

Mittelland Canal

The Mittelland Canal is Germany's longest artificial waterway.

Moselle

The Moselle is a left-bank Rhine tributary dominated by viticulture and recreation.

The Müritz is Germany's largest lake lying entirely within the country, in Müritz National Park.

The Neckar runs through Baden-Württemberg and is heavily shaped by hydropower and navigation.

Oder–Havel Canal

The Oder–Havel Canal links the Havel with the Oder.

The Saale is a left-bank Elbe tributary with numerous reservoirs.

The Scharmützelsee is an oligotrophic glacial channel lake in Brandenburg.

The Schwielochsee is the largest natural lake of the Spree region.

The Senftenberger See was formed from a former lignite open-cast mine.

The Spree flows through Berlin and is heavily altered by Lusatian lignite mining.

Lake Starnberg

Lake Starnberg is one of Germany's deepest lakes.

The Steinhuder Meer is Lower Saxony's largest lake and a major wetland.