The lake was born there are 18 000 years ago thanks to the melting of the ice and is situated at 447m of altitude, at the south of the department of the Haute-Savoie.

Useful information about the lake

Surface : 2 759 hectares (27,59 km²).
Length : 14,6 km.
Width : from 800 m between Duingt and le Roc de Chère to 3 350 m between Veyrier and Sévrier.
Perimeter : 38 km.
Altitude : 446,80 m on average at the Bout-du-Lac and 446,40 m on average at Annecy (incline 0,0027%).
Volume : 1 124,5 millions de m³
Average depth : 41,5 m
Maximum depth :
80,6 m atla Puya, western north of the lake,
64,7 m in the "grand lake"(north),
55,2 m in the "small lake"(south).
Turnover time : 4 years
Mediun température of water : 6°C in January and 25°C in July.
Turnover : 7 principal brooks and torrents, and the Biouboz source.
Effusion in the Thiou : 260 million of m³ on normal year; 8 m³/s of water on normal period, but 4 m³/s on low water period et 40 m³/s in spate.
In 2003, with the heatwave, the level of the lake has dropped by 35 cm.
Evaporation : 15 million of m³ on normal year.
Collecting : 10 million of m³ are collecting by year thanks to the stations of the Tour and the Puya.

The water of the lake is a property of the State since 1873.
But, the edges are several properties: tle villages, the residents, the Syndicate of the Lake or the Conservatoire du Littoral et des Rivages Lacustres.
Since several years, the villages try to reconquer the edges of the lake to open their to public.
Then, at Annecy, the totality of the shores is accessible and constitute a pleasant walk.

Annecy Lake, pure water
The Doctor Servettaz, in 1950, starts the water safeguarding because of the discharge of rubbish and organic matters in the lake.
In 1957 the Syndicate of the Lac is created to figth the pollution trough the creation of a cleansing network which reaches several hundreds kilometers today.
The slope basins are gradually treated too.
The results are convincing:
water quality is today irreproachable and favourable for all of the several uses, like the bathe.
It's water which is drunk by the 130 000 residents of the annecian basin.
The efforts to preserve the lake, since 40 years, are rewarded by several prices.

Fishing at Annecy Lake
From time immemorial,fishing is a practical usal on the shores of the lake.
Since the 12th century, the fishing rights are exchanged or sold between lords or families.
Only professional fishermen, who pay a licence of fishing, are allowed to use hoop nets and fillets.
There are 20 kinds of fish and crayfish.

History of boats
The first streamer is appeared in 1861.
Sumptuous gift, the "Couronne de savoie", which can transport 400 travellers, has been offer by Napoléon III to Annecy, after the joining of the Savoy to the France.

The painters and the poets of the Annecy Lake
The first famous representation, a crucifixion, by Conrad Witz, dates back to 1435.
But, the more famous pictorial representations "le siècle d’or" is the scool of landscape designers painters in 19th century : Prosper Dunant, Firmin Salabert, Paul Cabaud, Gabriel Loppé.

The touristic rise in 20th has increased the development of the art of the poster with Albert Besnard, Hugo d’Alési, Broders ou Falcucci.
Before, during the summer of 1896, Paul Cézanne paints the lake "le lac bleu" realizes in front of the bay of Talloires. (visible at Courtauld Institut of Art at London)
The painters in 20th century are called Cachoud, Jacques, Drevet, Kokoschka, and more recently Glasser, Lansé and Roudneff.

At 18th century Jean-Jacques Rousseau, during his stays at Annecy, doesn't talk about by the lake in their books.
It's at the 19th century that there is a revelation of  lyric texts about the lake with Astolphe de Custine, Henry Bordeaux, Oscar David, André Theuriet, Albert Samain and Hippolyte Taine.