Map › France › Haute-Savoie › Bout du Lac - Doussard
Lacs alpins e intérieurs · Haute-Savoie, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes · Upper Savoy · Doussard
Bout du Lac - Doussard
also known as Plage de Doussard, Bout du Lac d'Annecy
Nearby Plage d'Albigny 14 km · Lake Bourget | Aix Beach 27 km · Lac du Bourget - Cap des Ceselets 29 km · straight-line distance
On the clock
13:00
The thermal comes up in the afternoon, which is also when the kite window opens at 13:00; mornings on this shore are mostly calm. Doussard sits at the end of the lake best exposed to that thermal, which is why the site exists at all.
The marks are the clock times the record names, laid on a 24-hour day. The bar between the first and the last covers those hours; it is not a promise of wind.
The wind
locals call it bise
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
mixed
fills in: The thermal comes up in the afternoon, which is also when the kite window opens at 13:00; mornings on this shore are mostly calm. Doussard sits at the end of the lake best exposed to that thermal, which is why the site exists at all.
Typical strength
The afternoon thermal runs about 10-20 knots on the lake; bise days average 10-14 knots with gusts to 25. Neither figure has been measured at Doussard itself, and the bise blows rarely and not steadily enough to plan a trip around.
Thermal or synoptic
thermal and synoptic
The quiver, in words
Indicative, taken from the 10-20 knot afternoon thermal rather than from any measurement at the launch: a 75-85 kg rider wants 12-14 m for the light end of it and 9-10 m once the thermal is properly in.On a bise day the average sits at 10-14 knots but the gusts reach 25, so take the smaller size and expect to be underpowered between gusts. No local kite-size guidance has been published for Doussard.
Direction to shore
Depends where you stand on the shore and which way the lake axis runs at that point; think north tendency plus thermal, not a clean side-on angle.
Dominant direction
North tendency with afternoon thermal breeze influence
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season
- Jan, riders' month8
- Feb, riders' month2
- Mar, riders' month3
- Apr, riders' month2
- May, riders' month5
- Jun, riders' month2
- Jul0
- Aug5
- Sep, riders' month5
- Oct, riders' month0
- Nov, riders' month7
- Dec, riders' month2
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
The model is wrong here
The model reads 8% of days at its best month, which does not sit with the season and the wind strength this record states. The figures are kept and drawn as hatching so no wind colour can be read off them, and the ringed months are the ones riders name.
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8% | 15% | 13% | 6.7 kt | NW | 14:00 | 3.2°C | 62 |
| Feb | 2% | 7% | 2% | 6 kt | NW | 16:00 | 5.7°C | 57 |
| Mar | 3% | 19% | 18% | 7.8 kt | NW | 15:00 | 8.2°C | 62 |
| Apr | 2% | 17% | 8% | 7.8 kt | NW | 15:00 | 10°C | 60 |
| May | 5% | 15% | 8% | 8.3 kt | NW | 15:00 | 15.1°C | 62 |
| Jun | 2% | 17% | 8% | 8.5 kt | NW | 16:00 | 19.6°C | 60 |
| Jul | 0% | 5% | 2% | 7.3 kt | NW | 16:00 | 22°C | 62 |
| Aug | 5% | 8% | 5% | 7.5 kt | NW | 15:00 | 22.2°C | 62 |
| Sep | 5% | 13% | 8% | 7.1 kt | NW | 15:00 | 16.9°C | 60 |
| Oct | 0% | 11% | 5% | 6.2 kt | NW | 15:00 | 14.8°C | 62 |
| Nov | 7% | 22% | 10% | 6.9 kt | ESE | 14:00 | 7.6°C | 60 |
| Dec | 2% | 8% | 5% | 5.6 kt | NW | 13:00 | 4.4°C | 62 |
riders' months
Riders and schools name these months. The model reads lower here, and both are shown rather than averaged.
Modelled from the operational forecast archive at 1.5–7 km (2023-2024), daylight hours only, not a ground station: it resolves thermal, lake and valley winds far better than coarse reanalysis but still tends to understate a strong local thermal. A windy day has at least three consecutive daylight hours at 12 knots or more. The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.
High-resolution weather model (modelled) · Open-Meteo historical forecast archive — best-match operational model (ICON-D2 / AROME / ICON-EU / GFS by region), not a ground station · 2023-2024
The water
Type
freshwater lake
Tides
No sea tide; Lake Annecy is a regulated inland lake with seasonal level management.
Temperature
18-26°C summer · 2-10°C winter
Wetsuit
Full wetsuit outside warm summer conditions; cold-water gear in winter.
Your level
The scene
What riders come here for
Launch and rules
three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you
With a school or a boat
3 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Large open lakeside zone, also used by paragliding schools for landings and by kite riders for wing/line preparation.
Somewhere else
Plage d'Albigny, 14 km
Every spot within 40 km is on the map at the top of this page, with its distance under it.
Rescue
Launch
Rig and launch from the lakeside strip between Doussard port and the pebble point that marks the reserve edge. Park at the Plage de Doussard, cross the port and the small wooden bridge, and you come out on the stabilised zone by the restaurants.Walking to the pebble point with the kite up is tolerated; cutting through the reserve or the reeds is not.
Space
Large open lakeside zone, also used by paragliding schools for landings and by kite riders for wing/line preparation.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Kite window is 1 September to 30 June, 13:00 to sunset; do not bother in July and August, the spot is closed to kites.
- Read the notice board at the launch before rigging: the prefecture updates the lake's RPP and the rules change.
- Park at the Plage de Doussard, walk through the port and over the small wooden bridge to the stabilised lakeside zone; do not cut through the reserve or the reeds.
- Wear a buoyancy vest: it is mandatory for kitesurf on Lake Annecy.
- Plan on the afternoon thermal over the north tendency; mornings are mostly calm here.
- Look up before you launch: the paragliding schools land on the same field you rig on.
Getting there
Airport
Geneva Airport or Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport
Route
Drive to the south end of Lake Annecy and into Doussard. Park at the Plage de Doussard, cross the port and the small wooden bridge, and you are on the stabilised lakeside zone.
Cost level
high
Staying
Lakeside campsites, holiday rentals and hotels around Doussard, Lathuile and Annecy.
No-wind days
paragliding around Doussard and Talloires · cycling the Lake Annecy greenway · paddle, swimming and sailing on Lake Annecy · hiking in the Massif des Bauges
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite Bout du Lac?
The spot is open for kiting from 1 September to 30 June, with July and August closed for summer beach use.
Is Bout du Lac suitable for beginners?
No, it is listed as intermediate level, and the constrained shoreline, reserve boundary and variable alpine wind make it unsuitable for beginner teaching.
What is the wind like at Bout du Lac?
A north tendency combines with an afternoon thermal breeze, typically 10-20 knots, with bise sessions reported around 10-14 knots and gusts up to 25 knots.
Are there rules or restricted zones at Bout du Lac?
The spot operates 13:00 to sunset in season, the adjacent nature reserve is strictly forbidden, and a buoyancy or life jacket is mandatory for kitesurfing on the lake.
Is there a kite school at Bout du Lac?
Yes, Xtrem Annecy teaches kite lessons on the lake with a safety boat.
Last updated: August 2026