Lake Annecy Size report

Located in Haute-Savoie, France, at the foot of the Alps, Lake Annecy is the second largest lake in France after Lac du Bourget. If you include Lake Geneva, which France and Switzerland share, it is the third-largest lake in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.

Thanks to strict environmental management measures implemented in the 1960s, Lake Annecy is the clearest lake in Europe. It has been a popular tourist destination for swimming and water sports since the last century.

Walking and cycling on the shores of Lake Annecy, swimming and boating in the lake, and overlooking the Alps are undoubtedly the best ways to spend a peaceful and pleasant holiday in the lake area. This post will introduce more interesting facts about Lake Annecy.

Lake Annecy Introduction

Lake Annecy formed 18,000 years ago during the melting of Alpine glaciers. Many small rivers originate from the surrounding mountains stretching more than ten kilometers into Lake Annecy, and a powerful underwater source, the Boubioz, at an 82-meter depth (269 ft), they provide sufficient water for Lake Annecy. Three main tributary rivers, Eau Morte, Ire, and Borette, contribute about 42%, 15%, and 7% of inflowing water to the lake. The lake water maintains relatively high pH values due to the high carbonate concentration and conductivity of these river water.

Lake Annecy's crystal blue and dreamy waters allow for various water sports and recreation such as swimming, sailing, diving, boating, fishing, water skiing, etc.; it is a real paradise. Plus, its beaches will indulge vacationers. With its pleasant lakeshore, it also attracts many walkers and cyclists. The French Enlightenment thinker Rousseau once spent "the best 12 years of his life" in Annecy. The small town of Annecy is located at the northern end of Lake Annecy and is known as one of the 100 most beautiful small towns in the world.

Lake Annecy Size

• Lake Annecy is situated about 30 km south of Geneva in the French Prealps at an altitude of 446.5 m.
• It has a surface area of 27 square km, a shoreline length of 35 km, and a maximum depth of 64.7 m, an average depth of 41.5m.
• The lake measures 14.6 km from north to south, 3.2 km wide, and consists of two basins. The northern basin, approximately 9.8 km x 3.1 km in size, accounts for about 78% of the whole lake area and volume, while the southern subbasin (4.8 km x 1.5 km) for only 22%.

Lake Annecy Activities

You can enjoy different kinds of activities on Lake Annecy despite its reduced size and the fact that it is surrounded by mountains such as Mont Veyrier or Mont Semnoz. It is one of its strengths as it creates unstable winds, which give an interesting aspect to sports on the lake. Lake fishing is also the most popular activity in that area, and other popular lake activities include lake sailing and water skiing. The official annual firework celebrations of the lake are one of the biggest in Europe (it lasts for about an hour and a half) and happens on the first Saturday in August. You can book tickets and watch it from the shores of the lake, surrounding mountains or on boats, but it is also possible to see it from the surrounding cities and towns as well as from the surrounding mountains.

Final Words

The lake's shores have been considered unhealthy because of their humidity. Only a few fishermen used to live around Lake Annecy. Villages were always located a few hundred meters away from the shore. L. Annecy remained nutrient-poor until the 1940s due to the relatively small population of the catchment area. But water quality deteriorated from the mid-1940s to the 1960s as human activity around the lake increased. The lake was a place to drop their used and dirty waters. Since 1967, strict wastewater treatment programs have maintained the need for improved water quality. Nowadays, Lake Annecy is the cleanest lake in Europe, everyone knows.