Ahtubа, Russia

The Akhtuba (Ak-tyube - white hills) is the left branch of the Volga, splitting from it opposite the northern part of Volgograd. The old entrance to the Akhtuba, which was located upstream, was blocked by its dam during the construction of the Volga Hydroelectric Power Plant, but a 6.5 km-long channel was dug farther downstream.

The length of the Akhtuba is 537 km. Average annual flow rate - 153 m³/s. On the Akhtuba there are cities: Volzhsky (at the beginning of the branch), Leninsk, Znamensk, Akhtubinsk, Kharabali (5 km from the river). Between the Volga and the Akhtuba lies the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, which is a region known for watermelon cultivation and vegetable growing.

The fishing base “Akhtuba” is located in the Kharabalinsky District of Astrakhan Region, approximately 14 km from the settlements of Bугор and Sasykoli, on the left bank of the river of the same name.

The location of the many recreation bases is truly unique-most stories and legends about the “fishing paradise” of the Lower Volga and Akhtuba were born right here-on the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain. The fishing waters of the base in terms of scale, variety, and accessibility have virtually no analogues on the Lower Volga and will not leave indifferent even the most demanding angler. From Volgograd to Astrakhan, you will not find a place where the big Volga and its “younger sister” Akhtuba are so close to each other and connected by a deep-water channel that is navigable by motor at any time of year, with a total length of only 1.5 km.

The main advantage of the Akhtuba area is the weather. Daytime temperatures are 30-35, at night - 20 - 25, and this continues roughly until 15 - 20 August, while September looks more like the July weather of the Moscow region. There are practically no rains on the Akhtuba in summer. Spring flooding on the floodplain begins in April, with the maximum rise in water level seen in May. In some places, the water rises almost by 8 meters, flooding almost the entire floodplain area to a height of up to 2 meters. The end of the flood falls in the second half of June, when the water starts to recede over the course of one or two weeks. In autumn, in November, due to the abundance of rains, a slight increase in water level is also observed (up to 2 m).

Summer on the Akhtuba is usually dry and hot, with practically no rain. A local rain shower that a resident of the middle belt of Russia might see can be met not with an umbrella, but in swimwear by the riverbank. During the day, temperatures stay around 25-35 degrees, while at night they are in the range of 19-25. The hottest summer month is, of course, July, which is also the least windy. Summer heat in July can reach up to +45 degrees.

Autumn in September-October is dry and with few clouds. It is warm enough-September in terms of temperature strongly resembles the July weather of the Moscow region: during the day, temperatures can rise to +30 degrees. At this time, local fields are filled with ripe watermelons, melons, and other fruits. But already in November, there is a noticeable cool-down on the Akhtuba: cloudy weather starts to predominate, with lingering drizzling rains.

Winter in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain is quite unstable. During the day, temperatures stay between -7 and -13 degrees, but recently, due to global warming, long thaws also occur, during which significant parts of the floodplain are cleared of ice. Spring on the Akhtuba begins with warm, dry, and mostly clear weather. During the day, temperatures range from +4 to +12 degrees, but frosts at night are possible up to the beginning of May. The land is cleared of snow cover as early as March, paving the way for fresh green growth in the fields. As for winds, the most interesting biting for local fish happens when the wind “morana” blows in from the Caspian Sea. There are also fogs in these places, which most often occur in autumn- usually up to 4 days with fog in October and up to 6 days in November.