Mongolia offers a range of travel and tour options for every type of weather. Whether you are going there in the spring or summer to trek through the greenery or opting for the autumn and winter for the various adventure sports, the country provides the best of options for the discerning traveller.
Though most people visit Mongolia during the summer, the country offers an entirely different kind of experience in the winter. From sled riding to enjoying the Ice Festival, travellers go through exciting events that make them want to come back again to the country.
One of the most exciting activities that Mongolian winter promises is ice fishing. A large number of tourists come to the country to enjoy this sport and land some exceptional catches in the bargain. The experience is also a must for tourists who had never tried their hand at the sport. In fact, the ice fishing activity can be the cherry on the cake for anyone who wants to enjoy the most on their trip around Mongolia.
Most of the ice fishing activity happens near Lake Khovsgol, Mongolia's largest and deepest lake. Also called ‘The Dark Blue Pearl', the water body is located in the northern province of the country and is frozen from around January to April and sometimes even May or June. It is one of the largest reservoirs of fresh water in the world - it is supposed to contain around 1-2% of the global supply.
The lake is a great place to fish for grayling and lenok trout. Both are Salmonidae, a part of the salmon family. The lenok is very abundant during spring and summer, and travellers can come before the onset of summer and try their hand at catching this fish. Graylings are also very common and can be found in the many lakes and rivers in the country. The Hovsgol Grayling, however, is only found in the lake and the rivers that flow from it. Being an endangered species, it is best to throw back the catch into the water after you have landed it. Another endangered species is the formidable taimen, the largest fish in the trout family. It is mandatory for people to fish for taimen with authorized people and using barbless hooks, and to release the giant after the anglers have captured the moment.
The winters are a good time for the tourists watch the local fishermen at work. In fact, the locals prefer ice fishing as the fishes are trapped in a few deep water holes (Lake Khovsgol gets a 120 cm layer of ice in the winter), making them easier than to catch. Tourists can easily capture quite a few Grayling, lenoks and other fishes during a single day.
In addition to ice fishing, travellers can enjoy dog sled journeys over the frozen landscape and cover around 40-45 km in a single day. People visiting in March can enjoy the Ice Festival. Activities during the festival include ice skating, sleigh rides, building gears with ice and even sumo wrestling. A special mention must be made of the ice sculptures that artists create on site and are a delight to watch for their sheer beauty and brilliance of sculpture.