Chiemsee is a natural freshwater lake in south-eastern Bavaria with extensive natural shore vegetation and hydro-seral areas featuring gradual succession from open water to other land types. Many settlements at the lake have leisure facilities, mainly harbours for sailing boats. There is an important delta of the Tiroler Ache river to the south of the Site, with extensive floodplains and periodic mudflats. The Site is internationally important as a resting and wintering area for waterbirds, and it supports various breeding birds and several notable fish and plant species. It supports more than 1% of the global resting and wintering populations of birds such as the tufted duck (Aythya fuligula), common merganser (Mergus merganser) and red-crested pochard (Netta rufina). Notable fish species include the critically endangered whitefish (Coregonus hoferi) and the endangered Black Sea roach (Rutilus meidingeri). The Site is used for recreation, tourism, and scientific and educational purposes. Despite the fact that access and leisure activities are restricted and fish spawning areas are protected, those activities have increased in recent years and pose a potential threat to the ecological character of the Site.