Escape the Crowds

Mogan Lake and Gölbaşı

Ankara's other lake — a long lakeside park, kites, breakfast places and birds — and an honest word about the drought.

Free-ishhalf a daya spring or autumn weekend; summer evenings for the breeze

Why do it?

Twenty kilometres south of the city, Mogan is the bigger and shallower sibling of Eymir — six square kilometres of lake with reed beds, a protected wetland since 1990, and a municipal park (Mogan Park) along the northern shore with lawns, cycle paths, playgrounds and tea gardens. Gölbaşı, the town around it, is where central Ankara goes for a lakeside breakfast on Sunday and where families rent pedal boats and fly kites. It is one of the few places in the region that feels like water and open horizon. That comes with a caveat we won't hide: in the drought summer of 2025 the water pulled back from the shore, dead fish and mud were exposed and the smell and the flies made the front unwalkable in August. Turkey's wet 2026 winter refilled much of the country's water, but the lake's condition changes year to year.

The Smileys Take

Go for the park and the breakfast, and take the lake as you find it. In spring, when the storks and herons are back and the shore is green, it is a genuinely lovely half-day; in summer, go in the evening for the wind. Rent a pedal boat if the water is up. Combine with Eymir for a two-lake day by bike or taxi. Before you plan a Smileys outing here, ⚠ VERIFY the lake's current state — a quick look at recent local news or a member in Gölbaşı will tell you whether it's a picnic or a mudflat this month. We would rather tell you that than have you drive out to a smell.