Lac de Menet

Swimming at Lac de Menet: what you need to know

Swimming is normally allowed at Lac de Menet, on a small beach with a designated area, and the water is monitored by the ARS (the regional health agency) during the season, from 1 July to 31 August. Be careful, though: in summer 2026, swimming and water sports were temporarily banned from 18 June, because of a significant presence of cyanotoxins (toxins produced by cyanobacteria, which multiply when the water warms up).

This kind of ban is lifted when the test results are good again: check the notices on site or with the Menet town hall before making a special trip for a dip. Outside an episode like this, the water is well rated: classed as excellent in 2025. And swimming is never supervised: you swim at your own risk, keep an eye on children.

In terms of comfort, the lake is shallow (6 m at most), so the water warms up quickly: at the surface, it can reach 29 °C in the heart of summer. A picnic area, children's play equipment and public toilets complete the beach.

A glacial lake of about 14 hectares

Lac de Menet is a natural lake behind a glacial rock bar, sitting at 696 m altitude at the foot of the village, in the Cantal. It is fed by springs coming down from the meadows of the Puy de Menoire. On the water: white and yellow water lilies, irises, and even the only water chestnut site in the Cantal, an aquatic plant that has become rare.

For fishing: carp, pike and zander. The day permit can be bought at the village bar-tabac or at the town hall.

The walk round the lake and our take

The interpretation trail follows the developed shore: an accessible fishing jetty, a perched hut, deckchairs, sensory modules and panels on the wildlife, geology and legends of the lake. With children, it turns the after-lunch stroll into a little expedition. The wild shore opposite can't be followed on foot: only by canoe, when water sports are allowed.

Our take, frankly: it's not the most spectacular lake in the Cantal, and that's exactly why we like it. No water sports base, no crowds. A proper cool-off stop between Riom-ès-Montagnes and Salers, never packed, even in August.