Lac de Grangent, reservoir in France

Lac de Grangent is an artificial reservoir on the Loire in the department of the Loire, held back by the Grangent Dam and running 21 km from Aurec-sur-Loire upstream to the dam downstream. Its surface covers 3.65 km² at an elevation of 420 m. The Château de Grangent stands on an island in the lake, and the Château d'Essalois overlooks it from a hill near the dam.

The Grangent Dam on the Loire created the reservoir, which runs 21 km from Aurec-sur-Loire upstream to the dam downstream. The château de Grangent stands on an island in the lake, while the château d'Essalois overlooks it from a hill near the dam. The right bank is protected as the réserve naturelle régionale des gorges de la Loire.

The lake is named after the hamlet of Grangent, submerged when the Grangent Dam was built on the Loire. Two castles stand near the dam: Grangent, on an island in the lake, and Essalois, on a hill above it. A French postage stamp issued in 2014 depicts the lake.

The lake stretches 21 km from Aurec-sur-Loire upstream to the Grangent dam downstream. A sandy beach and a marina are at Saint-Victor-sur-Loire. The right bank lies within the regional nature reserve of the Loire gorges, and the Grangent and Essalois castles stand near the dam.

The castle of Essalois sits on a rocky outcrop overlooking the lake, and locals describe it as a guardian that has watched over the region for centuries. The ruins show layers of different periods in their stones, each adding to the story of how the landscape was inhabited.