Lake Kovzhskoye is a freshwater lake, located in the center of Vytegorsky District

Vytegorsky District

Vytegorsky District is an administrative district , one of the twenty-six in Vologda Oblast, Russia. Municipally, it is incorporated as Vytegorsky Municipal District...

 of Vologda Oblast

Vologda Oblast

Vologda Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is Vologda. The largest city is Cherepovets.Vologda Oblast is rich in historic monuments, such as the magnificent Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, Ferapontov Convent , medieval towns of Velikiy Ustyug and Belozersk, baroque...

 in Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

. It is one of the biggest lakes in Vologda Oblast and the second biggest one in Vytegorsky District behind Lake Onega. The area of the lake is 65 square kilometre, and the area of its basin is 438 square kilometre. The main tributary of the lake is the Iles River. Lake Kovzhskoye is the source of Kovzha River

Kovzha River

The Kovzha is a river in Vytegorsky, Belozersky, and Vashkinsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It originates from Lake Kovzhskoye and is a tributary of Lake Beloye. It is long, and the area of its basin . The Kovzha River is a part of the Volga-Baltic Waterway...

, one of the principal tributaries of Lake Beloye. The lake belongs to the basins of the Volga

Volga River

The Volga is the largest river in Europe in terms of length, discharge, and watershed. It flows through central Russia, and is widely viewed as the national river of Russia. Out of the twenty largest cities of Russia, eleven, including the capital Moscow, are situated in the Volga's drainage...

 and the Caspian Sea

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...

.

The lake has a complex shape, with one bay in the south and one more bay (Lake Lozskoye, where the source of the Kovzha is located) in the southwest. From the north, Lake Kuzhozero is adjacent to Lake Kovzhskoye.

The catchment area of Lake Kovzhskoye is relatively small, since the lake is located in the Andoma Hills. To the east of the lake, there is river basin of the Kema River

Kema River

The Kema is a river in Vytegorsky and Vashkinsky Districts of Vologda Oblast in Russia. It flows out of Lake Kemskoye and is a tributary of Lake Beloye. It is long, and the area of its basin . The main tributary is the Indomanka River ....

, another tributary of Lake Beloye, and the areas to the north and to the west drain into Lake Onega.

Two villages, Loza and Yakshino, are located on the southern shore of the lake. Both are on the highway connecting Vologda

Vologda

Vologda is a city and the administrative, cultural, and scientific center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the Vologda River. The city is a major transport knot of the Northwest of Russia. Vologda is among the Russian cities possessing an especially valuable historical heritage...

 with Medvezhyegorsk

Medvezhyegorsk

Medvezhyegorsk , formerly known as Medvezhya Gora and Karhumäki, is a town and the administrative center of Medvezhyegorsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Population: 15,800 ....

 via Vytegra

Vytegra

Vytegra may refer to:*Vytegra, a town in Vologda Oblast, Russia*Vytegra River, a river in Vologda Oblast, Russia...

 and Pudozh

Pudozh

Pudozh is a town and the administrative center of Pudozhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located on the Vodla River east of Petrozavodsk. Population: 8,000 ....

.