The Krka River is a very clean karst water system characterised by a low level of trace elements of natural origin, which makes this system particularly sensitive to anthropogenic influences. In order to investigate the transport, behaviour and distribution of elements in the Visovac Lake system, sediment, soil and water samples were analysed, taking into account its geomorphological characteristics and the dynamics of seasonal and river flow changes. Multielement analysis was performed by high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry technique and a method was developed for the analysis of the less studied technologically critical elements in solid samples. Sediment and water analyses identified the main anthropogenic sources and the main transport pathways of elements into this water system. The history of anthropogenic pollution by metals was reconstructed by analysing dated sediment cores. Although the input of some ecotoxic elements through the Krka and Čikola rivers was identified, their concentrations in the sediments of the Visovac Lake were generally low, so this water system can be classified as unpolluted or low-polluted with respect to metals. The analysis of the spatial and temporal distribution of total and dissolved elements in the water over a period of several years showed that the high discharges bring mainly elements bound to the particles, while during the low discharges in summer the underground tributaries of the Krka (characterised by a different elemental composition) account for a significant proportion of the water entering the lake. Increased concentrations of anthropogenic elements (Cr, Cu, Na, Pb, V) measured at the location where Čikola flows into Visovačko Lake indicate anthropogenic pollution originating from the municipal waters of the town of Drniš. The analysis of the annual hydrological fluxes of elements has shown that elements bound to particles are partially retained in the lake and that there are other sources of elements in Lake Visovac besides the Krka and Čikola rivers.