the lakes of killarney are lough leane (the lower lake), muckross lake (the middle lake), and the upper lake. these lakes are interlinked and together make up almost a quarter of the park's area. despite being interlinked, each lake has a unique ecosystem. the lakes join at the meeting of the waters, a popular tourist area. sport angling on the lakes has been a pastime in the area for some time, in particular of the lakes' brown trout and salmon populations.