This post is all about the largest lakes in France that should be on your vacation list!

Are you planning your next trip to France, and this time you would like to incorporate some more nature? This is the perfect post to read to prepare for your trip!

France has many lakes, so this will not cover all the lakes that France has to offer, but it will highlight the ones you should look into and add to your itinerary! We’ll start to look at 3 of the most famous lakes in France and then move to some lesser-known ones, but that is still very much worth the trip and the experience!

Pack your bags and hiking shoes, we are going on a trip to a selection of the most beautiful lakes in France!

Here are the French lakes all nature lovers should go and experience!

 

Largest lakes in France

 

The most famous French lakes

Let’s start our tour with maybe some of the most famous lakes France has to offer.

 

• Lac du Bourget

Lake Bourget is located in the Savoie region and was formed by the letting of a glacier. Today it’s one of the largest lakes in France. It is also the deepest lake being entirely located in France (unlike the Lame Léman, which is both in France and in Switzerland).

This is the perfect summer destination, as the lake offers a variety of activities: scuba diving, pedal boats, water skiing, sailing, and more. You could also enjoy the few beaches around the lake if water sports are not your thing.

You could find some local trains that could get you to Bourget Lake, but the most convenient way is definitely by car.

 

• Lac d’Annecy

Another very famous lake in the Savoie region is the Annecy Lake. It is a glacial lake in the sense that this lake’s existence came from the melting of nearby glaciers.

The Lake of Annecy is known for being one of the cleanest makes in France with crystal clear water. This is due to the very strict regulations. The pure water of the lake is used as drinkable tap water for all the neighboring houses.

You can get to the city of Annecy by train (it is about a 4-hour train journey). Once there you can use the local transportation (local trains or buses) to get around the lake.

 

• Lac Léman

The Leman Lake (also known as Lake Geneva) is a bi-national one: one part in France the other in Switzerland. In France, the lake is between the Savoie region and the Jura mountains.

In terms of surface area, it is the largest natural lake in Europe. This lake has been constituted around 75% by the Rhône River.

Depending on which side you would like to visit (the French or Swiss part), you could either start your journey in Thonon-les-Bains or Evian-les-Bains for the French part or in Geneva or Lausanne for the Swiss part.

 

Looking for a great destination for your next trip to France? CLICK HERE

 

The hidden gems of lakes

Let’s have a look at some lesser know blue waters in France. Many of those you’ll find near a mountain chain like the Alps, the Vosges Mountains, or the Pyrénée Mountains. The easiest way to access them will be by car, which will give you more flexibility to discover any other hidden gems around the lake area.

 

• Lac de Capitello and Lac de Melu (or Lac de Melo)

Corsica is one gorgeous island, the nature there is just something else! So if you are ever in the area and you are looking for some beautiful smaller lakes to experience, you should definitely check out the Capitello Lake and the Melu Lake. They are both located a few kilometers away from the city of Corte, which is at the center of Corsica.

You’ll need to get on a hiking trail to both lakes, but the view is worth it.

 

• Lac de Serre-Ponçon

This is the largest artificial lake in France (and the first one on this list). The lake is located in southeastern France, in the region of the city of Gap. It was created in 1959 through the construction of the Durance Dam.

The creation of the dam helped regulate the Durance River and avoid further flooding in the region and allowed the building of an electricity plant.

The creation of this lake meant that 2 villages had to be submerged and villagers expropriated, which was a first in France.

You can get there either by car or by train from the city of Gap.

 

• Lac du Salagou

The Salagou Lake is easily accessible by car from the cities of Montpellier Béziers or Sète. It is an artificial lake that came to be after the construction of the Salagou dam.

This is a great place to visit if you’re a fan of outdoor activities such as sailing, hiking, fishing, or mountain biking.

The surroundings of the lake are still quite minimal, making it a less touristy lake than others on this list.

 

• Lac d’Aiguebelette

This is another natural lake located in the French Alps, in the Savoie region. Contrary to many other lakes, this one is privately owned by one family. Said family has passed a contract with the electricity company to generate power from the lake.

Since 2015 this lake is the first regional freshwater reserve, thus no motor boats are allowed on the lake.

The closest city to the lake by car is Chambery. Unfortunately, no train will bring you to it.

 

• Lac de Sainte Croix

This man-made lake was created in 1973 with the construction of the Sainte Croix dam. The lake of Sainte-Croix is in the beautiful region of Verdon, which is very popular in the summer. You can only navigate non-motorized boats to preserve the quality of the water.

From there you could go and visit the plateau de Valensol, with all the famous lavender fields, or you do some kayaking in the Gorges du Verdon. This might be quite crowded in the summer, so be sure to book your trip and/or your guide in advance!

 

• Lac d’Allos

This lake is perched all the way up in the national Mercantour Park, around 2 230 meters high (approx 7 300 feet high). It is the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe.

To get there you’ll need around 30min from the Plateau de Laus parking lot to get to the lake, and another hour to get around the whole lake. If you haven’t packed a picnic, you can make a pit stop at the high-mountain refuge for a bit to eat. For some high-mountain refuges, it might be best to book your table in advance. They do not have an unlimited quantity of food or seats available.

 

• Lac de Gaube

The Gaube Lake is not as high up in the mountains as the Allos Lake, but it is still around 1 700 meters (5 580 feet) high in the Pyrénée mountains.

This might not be the biggest lake on this list, but it has beautiful panoramic views and is quite easily accessible by a cable car departing from the Pont d’Espagne. It is also the departure of many hiking trails in the region.

 

• Lac Blanc

The Lac Blanc is located in the Vosges mountains at an altitude of 1 000 meters (3 300 feet). It is named the “white” lake because of the color of the sand at the bottom of the lake which is white.

The activities around the lake include hiking with some famous trails and rock climbing on the Hans rock that is just above the lake. You could also enjoy some mountain biking trails.

 

• Lac du Mont Cenis

This lake in Savoie was on one of Middle-Age’s famous roads linking Lyon to the Italian cities of Turin and Milan. Travelers crossed the Mont-Cenis pass to get to or from Italy and had as a reward the beautiful sight of this high-altitude lake.

The popularity of this road and this lake might have declined since then, however, if you’re ever hiking in the region, this would be a great place for a picnic.

 

• Lac de Gérardmer 

This lake is located in the Vosges mountains near the small city of Gérardmer and around 1 hour away from the cities of Comar and Mulhouse. This lake was born from a glacier and is only 600 meters in altitude (2 000 feet) making it quite easily accessible for a family hike. You could also go for a swim in summer and if you’re feeling very sporty you could try out for the Gérardmer triathlon, for which one of the races is a partial crossing of the Gérardmer lake in its entirety (around 2km crossing).

 

This has been a list of the best lakes of France with some of the most spectacular views. 

 

Save for later on Pinterest!