Lac de La Thuile

The Lac de La Thuile sits in a Bauges vale above the Combe de Savoie: 'this small alpine lake lies at 874 m altitude in an idyllic setting. Fringed with reeds, it has kept its charm and its wild side' — the town hall and the tourism sheet agree on those words, though the same Chambéry Montagnes sheet displays 880 m in its header; we report both values. About 5 hectares, up to 12 m deep, within the Massif des Bauges regional nature park; the site, a classified Sensitive Natural Area, is reserved for pedestrians.

On swimming, the sources do not say the same thing, and we do not arbitrate: the tourism sheets write 'swimming is forbidden there', while the town hall writes 'swimming is neither laid out nor supervised. It remains tolerated at users' own risk, but is strictly forbidden in periods of frost'. The same caution applies to dogs: 'kept on a leash' per the town hall, 'not accepted' per the tourism sheet.

'Prefer the peaceful mood of spring and autumn', advises Chambéry Montagnes. The lake loop — 2 km, +39 m, about 45 minutes — starts from the village-hall car park in the chef-lieu; occasionally wet sections, suitable shoes recommended. Fishing is allowed from 1 May to 15 November in a defined zone, with the local permit sold at the town hall or the Auberge du Lac: the lake is 'a private space whose initial purpose is to be a fish reserve declared at the Préfecture'.