Lack of knowledge about distribution of charophyte fructifications and importance of environmental conditions in the Baltic Sea coastal waters fostered us to assess the spatial-temporal patterns of oospore bank in relationship with environmental factors in the Curonian Lagoon (Lithuanian part). We mapped the distribution of oospores in 2017-2019. The importance of environmental factors was determined by the cluster analysis and boosted regression trees. Four oospores species were recorded up to 4 m depth. The highest mean densities (58,000 indnr2 ) of viable fructifications were found along the eastern shore, where the densest charophyte stands were recorded. Viable fructifications showed a clear pattern of filling the oospore bank after the vegetation season and a depletion during the summer as they germinated. The distance from charophyte stands, salinity, bottom slope aspect, and wave exposure were the most important environmental variables. Full fructifications mostly occurred within <0.5 km distance from the charophyte stands restricted to flat and sheltered areas exposed to the northern and eastern slopes. Empty fructifications were mostly found within <2 km distance from the charophyte stands but their high density was limited to < 1 km distance from the charophyte stands and on the northeastern bottom slopes and > 1.5 salinity.
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