TASARAL, Kazakhstan -- In the tiny fishing village of Tasaral on the western shore of Kazakhstan's Lake Balkhash, the spawning season is a time for getting other things done. Fishing is banned ...

One side of the Balkhash — the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... "We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp," said Grebennikov.

One side of the Balkhash – the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... “We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp,” said Grebennikov.

One side of the Balkhash – the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... “We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp,” said Grebennikov.

One side of the Balkhash -- the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... "We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp," said Grebennikov.

One side of the Balkhash - the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... "We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp," said Grebennikov.

If you've ever driven by a lake you're familiar with and lamented that the water was clearly lower than it had been before, then you probably also know the thrill that you feel when water levels rise.

One side of the Balkhash -- the biggest lake in Central Asia after the Caspian ... "We used to take tourists underwater fishing. Now the place has become a swamp," said Grebennikov.