Lake Muhikap
Also known as: Lake Mohicap (common variant spelling) · Lake Mojicap (older maps)
Definition
Lake Muhikap is one of the Seven Lakes of San Pablo, a cluster of small volcanic crater lakes (maars) scattered around San Pablo City in Laguna province, Luzon. The smallest-recognized of the seven sister lakes, it is a quiet freshwater basin used for tilapia aquaculture and lakeside recreation.
Identities
| Database | Identifier |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Lake Muhikap |
| Wikidata | Q6477005 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
Also Known As
- Lake Mohicap (common variant spelling)
- Lake Mojicap (older maps)
Examples and Analogies
If Laguna de Bay is Luzon’s great inland sea, Lake Muhikap is one of seven “cups” of water punched into San Pablo’s volcanic landscape — sisters to Sampaloc, Palakpakin, Bunot, Yambo, Pandin, and Calibato. Its intimate scale invites comparison to a farm pond turned communal resource: small enough to walk around, central enough to feed families.
Usage Scenarios
Lakeside households raise tilapia in pens and cages; small groups of visitors hire bamboo rafts for a meal on the water; and the lake’s forested rim is used for birdwatching and quiet day trips, often paired with raft lunches of grilled tilapia and sinigang.
Strategies
Fishpen operators manage stocking density and feeding to protect water quality, while the city government and lake associations zone aquaculture areas and schedule cleanups. Tourism cooperatives limit raft numbers and require life vests, keeping visitor loads proportionate to the small lake’s carrying capacity.
Security and Safety Measures
Maar lakes can shelve into deep, cold water quickly, so swimming is discouraged outside designated spots and rafters are required to wear life vests. During heavy rains the lakeshore trail becomes slippery and flood-prone, prompting temporary closures and warning signage.
Historical Context
The San Pablo lakes were formed tens of thousands of years ago by phreatomagmatic eruptions — magma meeting groundwater — leaving shallow craters that filled with rainwater. Filipino folklore explains them more tenderly through the legend of the seven virtuous sisters punished during a feast, their unearthed saging and gabi becoming lakes, a story told to San Pablo children for generations.
Challenges and Controversies
Like its sisters, Muhikap battles overstocked fishpens, nutrient overload, and occasional fish kills that pit aquaculture income against lake health. Siltation from shore development and the slow enforcement of zoning ordinances remain recurring points of friction between residents, operators, and city regulators.
Related Topic
Seven Lakes of San Pablo