Bileća lake was formed by the 123 m Grančarevo dam, completed in 1967. The houses, graveyards and roads of Panik, Orah, Čepelica, Zadublje and Miruše lie under it, though Čepelica, Orah and Miruše still have residents. The lake covers about 33 km², and the Somovijada catfish competitions take place at the end of July and the beginning of August.
Bileća lake was made by damming the Trebišnjica, and the houses, land and roads of several villages lie under its water. A general overview of the local offer and the municipal contacts is in the article "Agro-tourism in Bileća: what the area offers and who to contact". The facts about the dam, the lake and the surrounding poljes come from the Trebišnjica hydropower company, the Tourist Organisation of Bileća and the Republika Srpska register of protected areas.
In short
- The lake was created by damming the Trebišnjica with the Grančarevo arch dam, 123 m high and 439 m long at the crest. The dam stands 18 km downstream of the river's source and 17 km upstream of Trebinje (HE na Trebišnjici, HE Trebinje I).
- The dam was completed in 1967 and the Trebinje I power plant started operating on 25 March 1968 (TO Bileća, The lake).
- According to the Tourist Organisation, the lake covers about 33 km², and the area changes with the water level (TO Bileća, The lake).
- The Somovijada catfish competitions take place at the end of July and the beginning of August.
What lies under the water
Filling the lake put the houses, graveyards and roads of the villages of Panik, Orah, Čepelica, Zadublje and Miruše under water (TO Bileća, The lake). The villages did not vanish entirely: the 2013 census recorded 19 residents in Čepelica, 11 in Orah and 4 in Miruše (Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics, 2013 census). According to the hydropower company, before filling, the medieval monasteries of Dobrićevo and Kosijerevo, the Arslanagić bridge from Trebinje and a large number of stećci (medieval tombstones) were moved to new sites (HE na Trebišnjici, construction phases).
The Tourist Organisation mentions diving to the submerged settlements only with authorised guides (TO Bileća, Activities).
Fishing and swimming
The municipality's fishing waters are the Vrijeka river and Bileća lake (TO RS, Trebinje fishing region). In Republika Srpska the annual fishing permit is valid on all fishing waters and is sold by the holders of fishing zones (Rulebook on fishing permits). The local angling club is Sportsko-ribolovno društvo Bileća, which organised a Somovijada in July 2025 (Glas Zemlje Hercegove, 27 July 2025). Check with the Tourist Organisation who currently sells permits for the lake. Part of the lake lies in Montenegro, where Montenegrin rules apply.
The Tourist Organisation calls Somovijada one of the oldest fishing competitions in the region (TO Bileća, Activities). In 2025 competitions were held on 27 July, organised by Sportsko-ribolovno društvo Bileća, and on 3 August, organised by the restaurant and raft "Apolon" (Glas Zemlje Hercegove, 27 July 2025; Radio Bileća, 1 August 2025). The gaovica, a small fish, emerges from the underground springs of the Vrijeka in spring and autumn (TO Bileća, Activities). Swimming is described as a summer activity. We found no official rules on bathing areas, so recommend the places where local people swim, and remind guests that the lake is about 104 m deep at its deepest point.
Nature around the lake
The Tourist Organisation lists four karst poljes, Bilećko, Plansko, Fatničko and Dabarsko, which take in water in winter, and the estavelle "Duvalo" near Grančarevo, which sometimes throws out water even in a summer drought. It names Plansko, Fatničko and Dabarsko polje as bird habitats, and for hikers lists Bjelašnica (1,867 m), Baba (1,735 m), Sitnica (1,419 m) and Viduša (1,328 m) (TO Bileća, Nature). Đatlo cave, in Bileća and Gacko municipalities, is protected as a natural monument (e-priroda RS).
What to offer guests
- Half a day by the lake: the shore, the story of the flooded land and relocated monasteries, then lunch on the farm. Organski pčelinjak Kovačević in Skrobotno, a village above the lake, offers honey and visits to the apiary.
- A spring or autumn morning by the Vrijeka. If you hold a fishing permit, show guests where gaovica are caught; if you do not, put them in touch with the local angling club.
- In winter, while Dabarsko and Fatničko polje are under water, a walk along the edge of the polje with binoculars. For experienced birdwatchers, arrange a local bird expert. The article on Dabarsko and Fatničko polje has more on these poljes.
- In summer, swimming, with dinner from local produce. Ask the Tourist Organisation who currently hires out boats and who is an authorised diving guide before you offer either to guests.
Who to contact
- Turistička organizacija opštine Bileća (Tourist Organisation of Bileća), Zavođska 2, 89230 Bileća; phone +387 59 371 864; torgbileca@gmail.com (turistickaorganizacijabileca.com).
- Hidroelektrane na Trebišnjici (Trebišnjica hydropower plants), for questions about the dam and water levels (henatrebisnjici.com).
Sources
- Trebišnjica hydropower plants: HE Trebinje I
- Trebišnjica hydropower plants: construction phases of the Trebišnjica system
- TO Bileća: The lake
- TO Bileća: Nature
- TO Bileća: Activities
- Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics: 2013 census results by settlement
- Tourist Organisation of Republika Srpska: Trebinje fishing region
- Rulebook on the form, content and template of the fishing permit (Pravilnik o obliku, sadržaju i obrascu dozvole za ribolov), Official Gazette of Republika Srpska 74/22 and 76/22
- Glas Zemlje Hercegove, 27 July 2025: Somovijada on Bileća lake
- Radio Bileća, 1 August 2025: Somovijada 2025, raft "Apolon"
- e-priroda RS: Natural monument Đatlo cave
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