Lac de Villegusien, Lake in Haute-Marne, France
The Lac de la Vingeanne, also known as the Lac de Villegusien, is a reservoir lake in the Haute-Marne department of northeastern France, located south of Langres. Its water level changes throughout the year, reaching around 200 hectares in surface during high season, while the depth near the dam can reach close to 10 meters (33 feet).
The lake was created in 1906 to supply water to the Marne-Saone canal and keep it navigable. Its earthen dam, built in a natural depression at the foot of the Langres plateau, is the longest among the four major reservoirs in the region and still bears the towers that were used to control water flow.
The Lac de la Vingeanne is also known as the Lac de Villegusien, after the nearby village of the same name. Every summer, its shores host the Festival du Chien à Plumes, a rock, blues, and jazz festival that has been held here for 25 years.
The site is open year-round and offers a supervised swimming area, a water sports center, and bike and scooter rentals in summer. A loop trail of about 8 km allows you to walk or cycle around the lake, and winter visitors can join trail runs on routes of different lengths.
The lake is home to more than 40 species of dragonflies, including rare ones such as the mercury blue damselfly. Some plant species along its banks, like the marsh germander, are under regional protection because they are found in very few places in the area.
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