Oplatil II

Oplatil II is a large body of water covering roughly 50 hectares in the municipality of Stéblová, in the Pardubice district of the Czech Republic, about 2 kilometers northwest of the village center. The lake formed after sand and gravel extraction on the site ended in the 1990s, when the former quarry pit filled with water. Two related water bodies sit right next to it: the larger Oplatil I, covering around 90 hectares, and the smaller Hrádek.

Where does the name Oplatil come from?

The name recalls a much older fishpond of the same name, built at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries as part of the expansion of the Pernstein pond system – a network of artificial reservoirs that the Pernstein family established across eastern Bohemia at the time. Constructing the original, large Oplatil pond required flooding several existing villages, including Velké and Malé Kavčiny and Černá pod Čeperkou. In 1549, the sons of Jan of Pernstein had the village of Stéblová rebuilt just below the southeastern edge of the side dam of that historic pond. Today's Oplatil II, despite sharing the name, is a much younger feature – a product of modern gravel extraction rather than a direct descendant of the historic fishpond.

What is the lake used for today?

Oplatil II currently serves two main purposes. First, it functions as an angling water managed by the Czech Anglers' Union (Český rybářský svaz), specifically through the local branch in Pardubice under the East Bohemian regional association. Fishing is permitted from the shore only, between 1 May and 31 December each year. Second, the lake serves as a backup water source for the Pardubice municipal waterworks, giving it a role that goes beyond recreation.

What should visitors know before heading there?

The lake lies within the cadastral territory of Stéblová, close to the village of Hrobice, in a quiet agricultural and wooded landscape near the Elbe (Labe) river, not far from Pardubice. Because it originated from gravel extraction, its shoreline retains the irregular, naturalistic shape left behind by the former quarrying operation, and the surrounding area remains noticeably less developed than Pardubice itself.

Frequently asked questions

How large is Oplatil II? It covers roughly 50 hectares.

How is Oplatil II different from Oplatil I? Oplatil I is the neighboring, larger water body, covering about 90 hectares. Both formed the same way and in the same period as Oplatil II – former gravel pits that flooded once extraction stopped in the 1990s.

Can you fish at Oplatil II? Yes. It is a designated angling water of the Czech Anglers' Union, but fishing is allowed only from the shore, and only between 1 May and 31 December.

Where does the name Oplatil come from? It comes from a historic fishpond of the same name, established at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries as part of the Pernstein pond system; building the original pond required flooding several nearby villages.

Does the lake serve any purpose besides recreation? Yes, it acts as a backup water source for the waterworks supplying the city of Pardubice.