Le lac de Lamoura

The lake of Lamoura is the highest lake in the French Jura. Situated at the foot of the Massacre forest, in a protected natural setting, Lamoura lake has an exceptional diversity of flora. A discovery trail will take you through its peat bogs, collections of aquatic mosses, spikes of blue mullein or carnivorous droseras... The meadows, full of trolls and wild orchids, provide a transition to the adjacent pastures and mown meadows. Children's games and a picnic area have been set up on the lake shore. You can also enjoy swimming. Surface area of the lake: 4.4 ha. Depth: 7 m.

Activities (depending on the season) and services on site:
The lake of Lamoura is ideal for lovers of nature and calm. Several activities and services are offered:

- Swimming and supervised beach from July 1st to August 31st (ask the Tourist Office for details of days and times),
- A discovery trail of the peat bogs and the geology of the Haute-Jurassie allows you to go all around the lake. Renovated in 2015, it has a path adapted to people with reduced mobility.
- Games for children.
- A picnic area with barbecues.
- Fishing: http://www.lesrousses.com/a-voir-a-faire/activites-et-loisirs/peche-en-montagne.html
- Public toilets.
- Petanque courts.
- Hiking: two marked hiking trails have been selected by the Tourist Office to discover the lake of Lamoura from the Information Point of Lamoura. Circuit cards to be purchased at the Tourist Office or downloaded: card n°2 (4.5km): http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=1835492 ; card n°4 (9km): http://www.openrunner.com/index.php?id=2054263.
- Snowshoeing : a marked snowshoeing itinerary starts from the village (from the Information Point of Lamoura) and reaches the lake : http://www.lesrousses.com/a-voir-a-faire/glisse-et-activites-neige/raquettes.html

Attention, to preserve the quietness and the nature of the site:
All boats, motorized or not, are forbidden.
Certain areas of the lake and its surroundings are forbidden to animals and bicycles, please respect the signs in place

Geology and environment :

The Lake of Lamoura is located at 1155m of altitude, it is the highest of the Jura lakes. It was formed more than 15 000 years ago, after the last ice age. Its surface area is the size of six football fields! It is not very deep, 7 meters maximum. It is fed by several small streams, including the Bief Froid. At its extremities, two chasms serve as an outlet for the water which is lost there to reappear in the Flumen valley, after several kilometres of underground travel. The lake is bordered by a peat bog to the north-east.

Local fauna: the black birds with a white beak that you can see are coots. They are excellent divers and are able to descend to more than 3 meters underwater to catch the algae they are fond of. They supplement their diet with insects, tadpoles and molluscs. They build nests of branches in the middle of the reeds to raise their young.

Access:
There are many ways to reach the lake of Lamoura, there is something for every foot! Don't hesitate to come and buy a topo-guide of the walks and hikes in the Rousses resort at the Tourist Office. Free parking on site.