Keitele is a large lake located in Central Finland.
The lake is divided into three regions, Ylä-, Keski-, and Ala-Keitele, of which Keski-Keitele is the largest.
A big part of Ylä-Keitele belongs to Natura 2000 protection program due to its clear water and natural condition.
A leading figure in modern Finnish painting, Akseli Gallen-Kallela first worked at Lake Keitele, in the summer of 1904.
The lake is mentioned prominently in James Church's 2006 novel A Corpse in the Koryo.