On the beach
Right now
Sample dataIllustrative conditions — the live Open-Meteo marine feed wasn't reachable, so these are deterministic placeholder values that will be replaced automatically once the feed is available.
7-day outlook
Sample dataModeled placeholder forecast for demonstration — will be replaced by a live marine-weather feed.
Sea temperature
Next 7 days, °C
Wave height
Next 7 days, metres
View as table
| Day | Sea temp (°C) | Wave height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 2 | 28.0 | 0.3 |
| Thu 3 | 28.4 | 0.3 |
| Fri 4 | 28.5 | 0.3 |
| Sat 5 | 28.2 | 0.3 |
| Sun 6 | 28.2 | 0.3 |
| Mon 7 | 28.5 | 0.3 |
| Tue 8 | 28.4 | 0.3 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Not classified2016
- 2017: Not classified2017
- 2018: Not classified2018
- 2019: Not classified2019
- 2020: Not classified2020
- 2021: Not classified2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 5 of 5 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Not classified |
| 2017 | Not classified |
| 2018 | Not classified |
| 2019 | Not classified |
| 2020 | Not classified |
| 2021 | Not classified |
| 2022 | Excellent |
| 2023 | Excellent |
| 2024 | Excellent |
| 2025 | Excellent |
Typical sea temperature by month
Modeled estimatePlausible seasonal climatology derived from latitude, for illustration — not a measured average.
Monthly sea temperature
Typical range across the year, °C
View as table
| Month | Typical sea temp (°C) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 15 |
| Feb | 14 |
| Mar | 15 |
| Apr | 17 |
| May | 20 |
| Jun | 23 |
| Jul | 25 |
| Aug | 25 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 23 |
| Nov | 20 |
| Dec | 17 |
Location & nearby beaches
Nearby beaches
- La Chassagne11 kmCharente
- La Guerlie12 kmCharente
- Plan D'Eau de Busserolles12 kmDordogne
- Village Le Chat16 kmCharente
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Saint-Mathieu - La Forge, about ~1.5 km away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Saint-Mathieu, about ~2.3 km away.
- 1 place to eat within 1 km Closest is La Grange du Lac, about ~170 m away.
- 1 place to stay mapped nearby Closest is Camping de Saint-Mathieu, about ~200 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
With no facilities mapped nearby, this beach is usually on the quiet side even in season — worth knowing if you're after solitude, but also worth bringing your own water and shade.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
- A quiet swim
Is the water clean at Le Lac?
Le Lac sits on a stretch of coast classed as a lake bathing site, carrying an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season. Under the EU Bathing Water Directive, national authorities test for intestinal enterococci and E. coli through the season and report the results the following spring — the 2025 rating was published in spring 2026, and 2026's won't follow until spring 2027. In addition to that yearly rating, some national authorities — for Croatia, the national environmental authority — publish individual water sample results during the season itself, ahead of the annual report. It sits in Haute-Vienne. There's parking about ~120 m from the beach.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 5 classified seasons on record has come back Excellent or Good. The most reliable swimming window here typically runs from July–September, with the sea usually at its warmest around August. Outside that window the water is cooler and often quieter. It's been a consistently reliable spot too — the rating has held at Excellent for 4 straight years. The nearest town, Saint-Mathieu, is about ~2.3 km away.
That “Excellent” label comes from a full season of official water sampling, not a single test — it's one step on a four-point scale (Excellent, Good, Sufficient, Poor) reassessed once a year. Today's actual conditions can differ from the seasonal average, so for a live snapshot see the “Right now” and 7-day outlook panels above. There's 1 place to eat near the beach — La Grange du Lac, about ~170 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to go in the water at Le Lac?
Yes — Le Lac carries the top EU Bathing Water classification, Excellent, for 2025, and 5 of its 5 classified seasons have rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 4 straight years.
What temperature is the sea at Le Lac right now?
The figure above (about 28°C) is placeholder data — the live marine-weather feed wasn't reachable when this page was built, and the real reading will appear automatically once it is. That's the reading right off Haute-Vienne. On the modeled climatology here, August usually runs warmest.
When does Le Lac have the warmest water?
For the warmest water, aim for July–September — that's when the modeled sea temperature is typically at its best. That applies to the water around Haute-Vienne. Within that window, August is typically the single warmest month.
Who measures the water quality rating, and how?
Once a year, national authorities report a full season of testing for intestinal enterococci and E. coli to the European Environment Agency, which grades the season Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor under the EU Bathing Water Directive. A handful of countries, including Croatia via IZOR, also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report — Le Lac doesn't have that feed set up yet.
What's nearby Le Lac — parking, buses, or a ferry?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Saint-Mathieu - La Forge, about ~1.5 km away. The nearest town is Saint-Mathieu, about ~2.3 km away.