Kleiner Ödsee

The Kleine Ödsee is a wooded mountain lake in the Salzkammergut, set in the Hetzau valley, a side valley of the Almtal. It lies just south of the larger Ödsee on Gemeinde Grünau’s land in Upper Austria. Steep, densely forested limestone or moraine banks rise around the water, with only the eastern shore showing gentler slopes. The lake covers 3.3 hectares and reaches depths of up to 14 metres.

Its water comes entirely from underground springs, and it drains invisibly into the Straneggbach. Seasonal water levels shift by more than a metre, rising in winter and falling in summer when the surrounding moraine dries and draws water from the lake. The lake sits within moraines left by the Würm ice age glacier that once flowed from the Priel group into the Hetzau. Moraine remains can still be seen above the water.

The lake remains largely untouched by pollution and shows high transparency in summer. It is classed as oligotrophic and supports populations of brown trout, brook trout and Arctic char. Together with the larger Ödsee, it forms a protected nature reserve covering 3.26 hectares. Visitors find quiet forest paths along the shore and clear views of the steep, green banks rising from the dark water.