Lac de la Landie

Lac de la Landie is a small highland lake in the commune of Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues, in the Puy-de-Dôme department, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. It lies within the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park, on the Artense plateau, at an elevation of roughly 1,035 metres. Clermont-Ferrand is about 70 kilometres away, and the lake sits between two well-known massifs: the Sancy chain to the north and the Cantal massif to the south.

Where exactly is the lake?

The lake occupies a remote corner of the Artense plateau, a landscape shaped by both ancient volcanic activity and glaciation, deep in the French Massif Central. Far from major roads, the surrounding countryside has kept a quiet, sparsely built character, dominated by pastures, peat bogs and deciduous woodland.

How did the lake form?

The basin is volcanic in origin, but its present outline owes more to later glacial action. Unlike the neighboring volcanic lakes of the region, which tend to be round and regular in shape, Lac de la Landie has an elongated, irregular contour — the result of a glacier stretching the original hollow. The lakebed is formed of basalt, a reminder of Auvergne's volcanic past.

What are its physical characteristics?

The lake covers an area of roughly thirty hectares, with a maximum depth of about twenty metres. It is fed by a small watercourse, the May stream, along with several tributaries and deep springs rising from the ground. Where the stream enters the lake, a peat bog has formed — a habitat typical of highland lakes on the Artense plateau.

Can you fish here?

Lac de la Landie is a privately owned lake, reserved exclusively for fly fishing. Its stock is unusually varied, including several species and strains of salmonid fish: trout (including the aguabonita variety), brown trout, multiple strains of rainbow trout, brook char, and ouananiche, a landlocked strain of Atlantic salmon. This diversity and the quality of the fishing have earned the lake a reputation among fly fishing enthusiasts that extends well beyond France. Because it is private, the opening and closing dates of the fishing season are set by the owner, independent of the general angling calendar that applies to public waters.

What can visitors do without a rod?

Access to the lakeshore is free and open to the public — visitors can walk around the lake, take in the views toward the Sancy and Cantal massifs, and observe the peat bogs and deciduous forest that surround it. Because the fishery itself is private, angling on the lake is reserved for guests of the site's operator rather than the general public.

FAQ

Where is Lac de la Landie located? In the commune of Égliseneuve-d'Entraigues, Puy-de-Dôme department, on the Artense plateau within the Auvergne Volcanoes Regional Nature Park.

How high up is the lake? At an elevation of roughly 1,035 metres.

Is the lake natural? Yes. It has a volcanic origin, and its current elongated shape was later reworked by glacial action.

Can anyone fish there without permission? No — the lake is private and fishing is reserved for fly fishing arranged through the site's owner.

What else is there to see nearby? Views of the Sancy chain and the Cantal massif, along with the peat bogs and deciduous forests characteristic of the Artense plateau landscape.