Map › France › Lac d'Orient - Mesnil-Saint-Pere
Lacs alpins e intérieurs · Aube, Grand Est · Aube · Mesnil-Saint-Pere
Lac d'Orient - Mesnil-Saint-Pere
also known as Plage de Mesnil-Saint-Pere, Lac de la Foret d'Orient, Port et plage de Mesnil-Saint-Pere, Maison des Lacs
Lac d'Orient - Mesnil-Saint-Pere has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
When it fills in
No onset time is published for this spot.
The wind
Direction
Character
synoptic
Strength
Direction to shore
The main beach sits on the south shore and looks north up the lake. North-east arrives onshore, the west-to-north sectors come in cross-shore, and south-west blows straight off the beach and out across 2,400 ha of open water. Orientation taken from the map, not measured on site.
Dominant direction
Southwest and northeast are the productive directions once established. At low lake level the west to northeast sectors are usable; at high lake level northeast is about the only practical one.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan35
- Feb23
- Mar, riders' month29
- Apr, riders' month28
- May, riders' month13
- Jun, riders' month8
- Jul13
- Aug10
- Sep, riders' month20
- Oct, riders' month19
- Nov40
- Dec31
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
- 35%Jan
- 23%Feb
- 29%Mar
- 28%Apr
- 13%May
- 8%Jun
- 13%Jul
- 10%Aug
- 20%Sep
- 19%Oct
- 40%Nov
- 31%Dec
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+) · season highlighted
| Month | Windy days | Force 4+ | 12 kn or more | Knots | From | Peaks at | Air | Readings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35% | 53% | 45% | 11.6 kt | SW | 11:00 | 4.1°C | 62 |
| Feb | 23% | 35% | 30% | 9.9 kt | SSW | 14:00 | 6.4°C | 57 |
| Mar | 29% | 47% | 42% | 11.5 kt | SW | 13:00 | 8.7°C | 62 |
| Apr | 28% | 50% | 40% | 11.2 kt | SW | 15:00 | 10.2°C | 60 |
| May | 13% | 42% | 31% | 10.7 kt | NE | 14:00 | 15.4°C | 62 |
| Jun | 8% | 30% | 18% | 9.8 kt | NNE | 17:00 | 19.4°C | 60 |
| Jul | 13% | 47% | 40% | 10.5 kt | SW | 16:00 | 20.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 10% | 29% | 23% | 9.6 kt | SW | 16:00 | 21°C | 62 |
| Sep | 20% | 35% | 32% | 10 kt | SW | 14:00 | 17.4°C | 60 |
| Oct | 19% | 42% | 27% | 9.7 kt | SW | 13:00 | 14.9°C | 62 |
| Nov | 40% | 60% | 50% | 11.9 kt | SW | 13:00 | 8.5°C | 60 |
| Dec | 31% | 47% | 42% | 10.7 kt | SSW | 13:00 | 5.3°C | 62 |
modelled
A weather model's cell over this place, not a station on it. Good for comparing places, weaker for one beach.
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 reservoir
Standing depth
The beach shelves gently, fine sand with a gradual entry that families use with small children, so you can wade out a fair way before it gets deep. Off the shelf there is no standing at all: the lake runs 5 to 25 m and the port basin alone is 3 m. No measured wading distance has been published.
Tides
No tides. What moves instead is the managed reservoir level, and it decides the day: below 129.50 m NGF the lake is not navigable at all, at high level the water swallows several of the accesses, and at low level tree stumps and branches appear along the edge.
Temperature
23°C summer
Currents
No tide current; wind-driven or outlet current at the kite launch is unconfirmed.
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
4 schools name this spot
On your own
Room to launch: Wide sandy beach when the beach kite area is open and lake level permits.
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Main sandy beach access at Mesnil-Saint-Pere, from the club fence at Maison des Lacs to the lawn by Le Calypso restaurant.
Space
Wide sandy beach when the beach kite area is open and lake level permits.
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Check the lake level before you drive: at high water only northeast works, at low water watch the trees along the edge.
- Pay the navigation fee at the Capitainerie at Maison des Lacs before you rig.
- Do not plan a beach launch between June 15 and September 15, or on a busy long weekend; the beach spots are closed to kites then.
- First time here, go out with Gliss'Orient or AWA; they know which of the five accesses is working at the current lake level.
- An FFVL licence and Flysurf10 membership are recommended on this lake; carry both.
- Check the lake level before you drive: at high water only northeast works, at low water watch the trees along the edge, and below 129.50 m NGF nobody goes on the water.
- The beach is lifeguarded daily in July and August, exactly when kites are off it. Every other week of the season the water is unwatched.
- South-west blows off this beach. If it is the direction of the day, expect a long walk or a different access.
Getting there
Route
The village sits near A26 exit 32, about 20 minutes from Troyes and 2 hours from Paris. By train, come via Vendeuvre-sur-Barse or Troyes, which has a direct Paris line. The port at Maison des Lacs is the lake hub.
Transfer
20 min
Staying
Sleep at the Residence du Lac d'Orient in Mesnil-Saint-Pere (the Centre Sportif de l'Aube's residence) or at the campsites and hotels around the lake.
No-wind days
sailing · windsurfing · paddle · canoe-kayak · cycling on the lake greenways · hiking in the Foret d'Orient · birdwatching
Photos
FAQ
When is the best time to kite at Lac d'Orient?
The official kitesurf period runs from the first weekend of March to the third weekend of October, but beach access is closed to kite from 15 June to 15 September.
Is Lac d'Orient suitable for beginners?
The Mesnil-Saint-Père beach access is signposted 'easy', but the same signage reserves kitesurfing for initiated riders who can ride upwind.
What is the wind like?
Southwest and northeast are the most productive directions when established; at high lake level, northeast is usually the only practical sector.
Are there rules or restricted zones?
Kite is authorized among non-motorized activities under the 2026 lake regulations, navigation fees apply at the Capitainerie, and an FFVL licence is recommended.
What hazards should I know about?
Trees near the shore become a hazard at low water, wind can be irregular compared with the coast, and lake-level management can make some accesses unusable.
Last updated: August 2026