Water Sports and Swimming

Lake Guerlédan is first and foremost a lake for getting on the water. The main centre of activity is Beau Rivage on the northern shore near Caurel, known locally as the lake's "seaside resort" because of its wide sandy beach, the largest on the lake. Here you can water-ski, wakeboard, go towed on an inflatable ring, rent a pedal boat, or take an electric launch cruise across the open water.↗↗

For paddlers, canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards can be hired at Beau Rivage, the Anse de Sordan on the Saint-Aignan shore, and Mûr-de-Bretagne near the dam. Motorless craft can explore the full length of the lake up to within one kilometre of the dam wall. Paddleboard rental starts at around €10 per adult, and towed-tube sessions begin at €20.↗↗

Swimming is permitted at several designated beaches. Beau Rivage offers the most amenities—children's play areas, restaurants, and cruise departures. The Anse of Sordan, tucked in the Quénécan Forest and shielded by the Malvran hill, is the wilder choice with a more secluded cove feel. There are smaller options at Landroannec and near the dam at Mûr-de-Bretagne.↗↗

Hiking and Cycling the Shoreline

A 38-kilometre trail loops around the entire lake, and most walkers tackle it over two days. The path climbs and descends through mixed woodland, past heather-dotted hillsides coloured yellow by gorse, and along rocky ledges that open to panoramic views of the water below. Mountain bikers and horse riders have their own marked routes through the Quénécan Forest.↗↗

A highlight for hikers is the walk to the Gorges de Daoulas, a narrow wild valley whose slopes are lined with rocky cliffs, and the trail toward the Landes de Liscuis, where prehistoric covered alleyways stand among the trees.↗

Heritage Around the Lake

The western end of the lake is guarded by the Cistercian Abbey of Bon-Repos, founded in 1184 and patiently restored over the past quarter-century. Its proud silhouette, perched on the banks of the Blavet and encircled by forest, is the most recognisable historic sight in the area. In August, a two-hour sound-and-light performance transforms the abbey ruins into a theatrical setting.↗↗

Nearby, the former ironworking village of Forges-des-Salles preserves around 40 buildings from Brittany's 18th- and 19th-century steel industry. The school, pay office, canteen, and joinery shop have been restored to show how workers lived here until the furnaces went cold in 1880. It is a remarkably intact window into a forgotten industrial community.↗↗

The landscape around the lake is also rich in prehistory. Neolithic sites—including covered alleyways at Liscuis, Coet-Correc, and Bot-er-Mohet, plus menhir clusters at Manéven—dot the forest and plateau beyond the shoreline, making a day of walking here as much an archaeological journey as a nature one.↗↗

Fishing

Lake Guerlédan has a strong reputation among predator anglers. Pike, pike-perch (zander), and perch thrive here, partly because the submerged lock structures from the old Nantes-Brest canal create ideal habitat. Since the lake was drained in 2015, restocking programmes have maintained healthy populations. Daily quotas limit catches to one pike over 60 cm or one pike-perch over 50 cm, plus three perch above 30 cm.↗↗

Practical Information

The lake is easy to reach by car from central Brittany, roughly 40 minutes from Pontivy and about an hour from the coast. There are five boat launch slips around the lake for those bringing their own craft. Motorised boats over 6 CV require a river licence; speed limits range from 5 to 20 km/h depending on the zone. Several restaurants and crêperies line the shores, including waterside options at Beau Rivage and the Anse de Sordan. Camping sites are available near the lake for multi-day stays.↗↗↗↗