Lac de Paladru, Natural lake in Charavines, France.
Lac de Paladru is a natural lake of glacial origin in the Isère département, between Voiron and La Tour-du-Pin. It runs 5.3 km north-east to south-west, is 650 m wide and reaches 36 m deep, holding 97 million m³ of water at 492 m altitude. Four communes share its shores: Charavines, Villages du Lac de Paladru, Montferrat and Bilieu.
The Société du Lac de Paladru was established in 1874 and initially operated as a private estate. Since 1970, archaeological digs have brought artifacts from the lake floor to the surface for study.
The lake serves as a gathering place for swimming and water activities for people from the surrounding villages. Local communities use the beaches regularly for recreation and cooling off during the warmer season.
The lake is private property of the Société du Lac de Paladru, founded in 1874, which regulates swimming and motorboats. Free public access to swimming is rare; one free spot is at Charavines on the south shore. The main beaches are at the northern and southern ends, while the lateral shores are steeper. The lake lies about 5 km from the A48, reachable from junction 9 (Rives) or junction 10 (Voiron).
Between 1909 and 1913 the lake served as a test ground for prototype seaplanes built by Raymond de Montgolfier, of the family of aviation pioneers the Montgolfier brothers. The lake is private property: it belongs to the Société du lac de Paladru, a civil property company founded in 1874 with twenty-one co-owners, which also manages the water and issues rules for boaters and bathers.
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