Lacs de Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu

The lakes of Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu are two small lakes of glacial origin, 'born of the collapse of part of the Dent du Chat mountain' after the Würm glaciers retreated. The tourist office's walking sheet gives them 6.4 and 4.4 ha with a maximum depth of 8 m; the national fishing federation writes 6.6 and 4.6 ha — we report both. Nestled between the Lierre mountain and the Mont de la Charvaz, near the Jongieux vineyards, they are edged by marshes protected by prefectoral decree since 1990, managed by the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Savoie.

Fishing — category 2, run by the Yenne AAPPMA — is practised on both lakes, on a 'Famille'-labelled course with pontoons, one of them wheelchair-accessible. Swimming exists only at the laid-out summer beach (paid, separate page); 'access to the lake is free outside July-August'. No official source states which of the two lakes carries the beach — we do not guess.

All year for the two waymarked loops from the base car park (304 m): 'Lakes and Marshes' (6.9 km, about 3 h, +146 m, with a belvedere overlooking the lake basin) and the 'Tour of the Lakes' (13.2 km, about 4 h 30, +600 m, via the hamlet and vineyards of Monthoux). On dogs, the sources contradict each other: 'accepted on a leash' on the walking routes, 'not accepted' on the beach page — we report both.