It is located in Ilūkste upland, 137m above sea level, in Augsdaugava region Svente municipality (Southern part of Medumi and Kalkūne municipalities). Svente Lake is included in the list of protected landscapes of Augšzeme, and with surrounding territory it is included in Nature Park.
Svente Lake is one of the 10 deepest lakes in Latvia (its storage volume is also big – 57.3mil m3). The Lake has eminent landscape and many bays. Its 3 islands (in Southern part of the Lake) are botanical reserves. Banks of the Lake are high. Out of the SE part there flows Pakrāce, the tributary of Laucesa. Because of the small basin of the Lake water in it fully renews once in 16-17 years. In the lake there live pikes, perches, roaches, breams, tenches, whitefishes, carps.
| Total area | 7.35 km2 (7.39km2 together with the islands) |
| Length | 5.3 km |
| Width | 2.8 km |
| Average depth | 7.8 m |
| Max depth | 38 m (SE part) |
| Catchment basin area | 18 km2 (Daugava river basin) |
Recreation at the lake is provided by:
- Guest house “Ezermala” – accommodation, traditional and black sauna, fishing.
- Guest house “Saules nams” – accommodation, sauna, campfire and barbecue area, football and volleyball courts, children playground, beach, boat rental, fishing.
- Holiday house “Pakrasti” – accommodation, sauna, camping site, boat rental, sports court, children’s playground, fishing.
- Recreation place “Sventes Rasa” – accommodation, campfire area, rent of water bicycles, windsurfing equipment and boats, fishing.
Anita Liepa (Kumeļa gadi.“Karogs” Nr. 6, 1982):
“In the place where the Lake now is, in former times there was a plain and meadows, but on the other side of the plain, there, behind Antuzeviču peninsula, on small hill – grove of sacrifice. Beneath the mightiest oak there was an altar made of stones. Ancient Selonians made sacrifices to Pērkons (Thunder, the god of thunder). But then the knights intruded in Selonia. In the middle of the plain they built a church with high turrets. Then the Selonians were ordered to go to the church and prohibited to make sacrifices to Pērkons. Then Pērkons got into a rage and on a fine Sunday, when the church was full of people, he threw down a lake upon the plain. Then the valley was under the water, only an island and grove of sacrifice were visible above the water. The Selonians got scared; they embarked the boats and floated to the island to make a sacrifice to Pērkons. The lake then was called Svente. The crosses of the church could be seen above the water for some time. Now they cannot be seen. But the fishers say that their fishing nets are catching on the crosses, if they occur in the place where the church once was. Also it is said that on Sundays, when the weather is fair, from the depth ringing bells, humming organ and singing churchgoers can be heard.”