lake in Novgorod oblast (province), northwestern Russia. Lake Ilmen occupies the centre of the Ilmen Plain, an undulating glacial lowland much of which is drained by rivers flowing into the lake; the lake in turn provides the headwaters of the Volkhov River. The lake occupies a shallow basin almost filled by riverine deposits, and its area varies vastly according to river flow—between 283 and 807 square miles (733 and 2,090 square km). The lake is navigable in summer months and has an average depth of 33 feet (10 m). Among the nearly 50 rivers that flow into Lake Ilmen, the largest are the Msta, Pola, Lovat, Psizha, and Shelon. The Volkhov flows out of the lake.