France · Ain
Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu
Ain, France
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 | 25.1 | 0.2 |
| Thu 3 | 25.4 | 0.2 |
| Fri 4 | 25.2 | 0.2 |
| Sat 5 | 24.7 | 0.2 |
| Sun 6 | 24.3 | 0.2 |
| Mon 7 | 24.2 | 0.2 |
| Tue 8 | 24.6 | 0.2 |
Water quality history
Official EEA classification, one rating per bathing season, 2015–2025 — real data reported by national authorities.
- 2015: Excellent2015
- 2016: Excellent2016
- 2017: Excellent2017
- 2018: Excellent2018
- 2019: Excellent2019
- 2020: Excellent2020
- 2021: Excellent2021
- 2022: Excellent2022
- 2023: Excellent2023
- 2024: Excellent2024
- 2025: Excellent2025
Excellent in the most recent season, and 11 of 11 classified years rated Excellent or Good.
- Excellent
- Good
- Sufficient
- Poor
- Not classified
View as table
| Year | Classification |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Excellent |
| 2016 | Excellent |
| 2017 | Excellent |
| 2018 | Excellent |
| 2019 | Excellent |
| 2020 | Excellent |
| 2021 | Excellent |
| 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
- 9.4 km
- 12 km
- 12 km
- Plan D'Eau L'Etang Bleu12 kmSavoie
Distances calculated as straight-line (haversine) from official coordinates.
Getting there & around
- Easy by car — there's parking close to the beach.
- Bus stop: Le Lac, about ~170 m away.
Food, stays & town
- Nearest village: Pugieu, about ~1.1 km away.
- 1 place to eat within 1 km Closest is Un air de vacances - Snack lac de Virieu, about ~50 m away.
What kind of beach is this?
This beach belongs to a small coastal village. It's usually calmer than a resort or town beach, though a popular village spot can still fill up on the best summer days.
Estimated from OpenStreetMap surroundings data (ODbL).
Is the water clean at Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu?
Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu is a lake bathing site with an official EU Bathing Water rating of Excellent for the 2025 season — the highest official classification under the EU bathing-water assessment. That annual classification comes from the EU Bathing Water Directive: national authorities test for two indicator bacteria, intestinal enterococci and E. coli, throughout the bathing season, then report the full-season results to the European Environment Agency (EEA) the following spring — the 2025 season's rating was published in spring 2026, and the 2026 season won't be rated 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. On site you'll find Showers, Toilets, and Restaurant. You can park about ~40 m away.
That rating has been consistent: every one of the 11 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 11 straight years. Pugieu — the closest town — sits about ~1.1 km from here.
Worth remembering: “Excellent” isn't a live reading, it's an annual grade — Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor — set once a year from that season's water samples and describing the average, not this afternoon's conditions. For what the sea is doing right now, check the “Right now” panel and 7-day outlook above. It sits in Ain. There's 1 place to eat near the beach — Un air de vacances - Snack lac de Virieu, about ~50 m away.
Frequently asked questions
Is Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu a safe beach for swimming?
Generally, yes. Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu's 2025 EU Bathing Water rating is Excellent — the highest tier — backed by 11 of 11 classified seasons rated Excellent or Good. It's also held steady at Excellent for 11 straight years.
How warm is the sea at Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu right now?
That reading, around 25°C, is a placeholder rather than a live measurement, shown only because the marine-weather feed was temporarily unreachable; it updates automatically once the feed returns. That's the reading right off Ain.
What's the ideal time of year to swim at Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu?
July–September tends to be the sweet spot for swimming here, with sea temperatures usually peaking later in that stretch. That applies to the water around Ain.
How is the water quality rating measured?
The grade comes from a full season of official sampling for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, reported to the European Environment Agency each spring under the EU Bathing Water Directive, which assigns Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor. Some countries (Croatia, via IZOR) also publish individual in-season samples ahead of that report; Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu doesn't have that feed yet.
How do you get to Virieu Le Grand - Lac de Virieu?
By car, it's easy — parking is right by the beach. By bus, the nearest stop is Le Lac, about ~170 m away. The nearest town is Pugieu, about ~1.1 km away.