Lake Managua, also Xolotlán, lake, western Nicaragua, in the country’s lowlands. The nation’s second largest lake, it covers an area of 1,050 sq km (410 sq mi) and has a maximum width of 58 km (36 mi). The national capital, Managua, lies on its southern shore. Pollution has largely destroyed the lake’s once-significant fisheries. The lake is drained south into the larger Lake Nicaragua by the Tipitapa River.