Lake Bicaz, also known as Lake Izvorul Muntelui is the biggest artificial lake on the interior waters of Romania; it was created after the completion of a dam built on the Bistrita River. The dam is located a few kilometers north from the town of Bicaz.
The dam was built between 1950 and 1960 and is used to generate hydroelectricity at the Bicaz-Stejaru hydro-plant. It has a height of 127 meters, a length of 435 meters, and a maximum width of 119 meters. The lake has a length of 40 kilometers, an area of 33 km 2 and a maximum volume of 1,250 million m 3
The lake is a popular tourist destination in the region, especially in the summertime, when visitors can take the ferryboat from Bicaz port for a short trip on the lake, enjoying the magnificent view of Mount Ceahlau on the west shore.
In the 1960s and 1970s there was regular ferry service between Bicaz port and the villages on the shore lake.
At Potoci, a few kilometers north of Bicaz town there is a biological research facility, equipped by a small submersible used for underwater explorations. The facility was visited by the marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1984.