The Rybinsk reservoir is the third in Russia and the eighth in the world in terms of flooded areas. The Rybinsk reservoir is often called the Rybinsk Sea, as it occupies 4550 square kilometers. There are great opportunities for fishing here.
At the time of flooding in the fall of 1940, the Rybinsk reservoir was the largest artificial reservoir in the world. Nowadays, more powerful hydroelectric power plants with larger reservoirs have been built in many countries, but for those years the design of such hydroelectric power plants was a technological achievement. Alas, there are questions about the methods of construction, since the labor work was done by the hands of GULAG prisoners. Their working conditions were difficult.
In ancient times, there was a glacial lake on the site of the Rybinsk reservoir, which then dried up. The Mologo-Sheksna lowland with extensive arable lands was formed here. There were more than 600 villages and the city of Mologa on this territory. More than 120 thousand people had to be relocated from the flood zone.
Since the Rybinsk reservoir is located in a lowland, the natural landscape along the shore of the reservoir is not very diverse. The average depth of the Rybinsk reservoir is only 5 meters. There are meadows, wetlands and small forests. However, such conditions create excellent conditions for fishing.
For centuries, the city has been one of the fishing centers in Russia. Its name: Rybnaya Sloboda – Rybny – Rybinsk (Fish’s in Russian) speak about the great importance of fishing in this region. Two sturgeons are depicted on the coat of arms of the city of Rybinsk. Once fishermen from Rybinsk and Tutaev (it is located 50 km to the east) supplied to the royal table a large number of sturgeons and sterlets that were found in these waters.
After the construction of the Volga cascade of hydroelectric power plants and the flooding of the Rybinsk reservoir, sturgeons disappeared in the middle reaches of the Volga, but sterlet is still found in the Rybinsk reservoir. In addition to sterlet, there are dozens of other species of fish.
