Treffort / Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it. straight-line distance
On the clock
12:00 · 12:30 · 14:00 · 15:00 · 16:00 · 17:30 · 18:00
The thermal starts stirring in the gorges around 12:00-12:30 and settles clean by about 14:00, then runs to 17:30-18:00. Under cloud it stays on and off and may not fill until 15:00. It often strengthens again after 16:00 for an evening session, and it can also stop dead and swing south inside a quarter of an hour. Mornings are flat.
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 vent de Sisteron; north thermal/bise
Direction
Kite sizes
metres · typical quiver highlighted
Character
thermal
fills in: The thermal starts stirring in the gorges around 12:00-12:30 and settles clean by about 14:00, then runs to 17:30-18:00. Under cloud it stays on and off and may not fill until 15:00. It often strengthens again after 16:00 for an evening session, and it can also stop dead and swing south inside a quarter of an hour. Mornings are flat.
Typical strength
8-12 kt oscillating north thermal at Plage Nord on fair summer days; 12-20 kt with a north gradient; strong south or boosted-thermal episodes reportedly reach 25-40 kt.
The quiver, in words
A light-wind quiver most days. On the 8-12 kt thermal a 75-85 kg rider wants 9-12 m, and it is foil territory: with 4-7 kt measured on the water, twintips and windsurf boards stay on the beach while 9 m and 11 m foil kites keep moving.7-9 m covers a north gradient of 15-20 kt, and 6 m is enough for the late-afternoon build after 16:00. Go a size down on a gusty south day, where a 15 kt lull can jump to 25 kt in seconds.
Direction to shore
mixed
Dominant direction
North thermal at Plage Nord, usable roughly 13:00-18:00 at 8-12 kt. The Treffort launch proper gets a stronger south thermal, the vent de Sisteron. Two launch points on one lake, each with its own wind.
Forecast
Month by month
- Jan18
- Feb23
- Mar26
- Apr, riders' month40
- May, riders' month18
- Jun, riders' month23
- Jul, riders' month19
- Aug, riders' month23
- Sep, riders' month17
- Oct, riders' month18
- Nov15
- Dec16
windy days per month (3 h+ at 12 kn+)
Ringed months are the ones riders and schools name: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct.
- 18%Jan
- 23%Feb
- 26%Mar
- 40%Apr
- 18%May
- 23%Jun
- 19%Jul
- 23%Aug
- 17%Sep
- 18%Oct
- 15%Nov
- 16%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 | 18% | 26% | 23% | 8.8 kt | NNW | 15:00 | 3.5°C | 62 |
| Feb | 23% | 30% | 26% | 9.7 kt | N | 16:00 | 5.9°C | 57 |
| Mar | 26% | 45% | 35% | 11.2 kt | N | 15:00 | 8.6°C | 62 |
| Apr | 40% | 53% | 50% | 12.4 kt | N | 15:00 | 10.3°C | 60 |
| May | 18% | 29% | 24% | 10.2 kt | N | 15:00 | 15°C | 62 |
| Jun | 23% | 43% | 32% | 10.4 kt | N | 16:00 | 20°C | 60 |
| Jul | 19% | 37% | 26% | 10.2 kt | N | 16:00 | 22.6°C | 62 |
| Aug | 23% | 39% | 27% | 10.9 kt | N | 16:00 | 22.4°C | 62 |
| Sep | 17% | 27% | 22% | 9.6 kt | N | 16:00 | 17.1°C | 60 |
| Oct | 18% | 21% | 18% | 9 kt | N | 16:00 | 15.4°C | 62 |
| Nov | 15% | 32% | 22% | 8.8 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 8.1°C | 60 |
| Dec | 16% | 26% | 24% | 8 kt | NNW | 14:00 | 4.4°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 lake
Standing depth
Immediate deep water at Plage Nord/Treffort; school teaching is commonly done in deep water from boats.
Tides
None; artificial alpine reservoir.
Wetsuit
Warm wetsuit recommended outside summer; schools provide warm wetsuits as equipment, and winter water is extremely cold.
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: limited/technical
Somewhere else
No neighbour on record
No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.
Rescue
Launch
Small managed grass/stony launch at the Treffort/Plage Nord area, with a dedicated rigging/launch area of about 300 m2 managed by Onekite. Riders launch quickly and move onto the lake; beginners should use school boat starts.
Space
limited/technical
Rules & access
Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.
Rider tips
- Book a boat lesson weeks ahead for May to September; the schools fill up.
- Wear booties: the shore is stones and cobbles, not sand.
- Rig inside the marked 300 m2 area, launch and go; nobody parks a kite at zenith on that patch.
- Give the La Mira passenger boat right of way and a wide berth, and watch the ponton and quay downwind of Plage Nord in north wind.
- Carry proof of kitesurf liability insurance; independent riders must have it.
- Come after 13:00 for the Plage Nord thermal; it is usually done by 18:00.
- Bring the foil. At 4-7 kt it is the only kit still riding while the twintips sit on the grass.
- Note the lake VHF channels before you go out: 16 for emergencies, 10 for the kite club, 73 for the passenger boat.
- A 4/3 with boots and gloves is the late-winter kit; the water sits around 8 C in February and feet go numb after two hours.
Getting there
Airport
Lyon-Saint Exupery or Grenoble Alpes-Isere; Grenoble city is the nearest major access point.
Route
By car from Grenoble, take the A51/D1075 corridor toward Sisteron/Sinard/Treffort and follow the signs for the lake and the Treffort base. About 30 minutes south of Grenoble, about 1h30 from Lyon.
Transfer
About 30 minutes from Grenoble by car; about 90 minutes from Lyon by car.
Cost level
medium
Staying
Camping de la Plage at Treffort is directly by the kite/windsurf area and lists chalets, bungalows, tents, roulottes, camping pitches, restaurant and small-shop services; other gites/hotels are around Treffort and Trièves.
No-wind days
Himalayan footbridges hike, La Mira boat crossings/cruises, paddle or kayak where permitted, wakeboard/ski-nautique operators, VTT routes, hiking in Trièves/Matheysine.
Photos
FAQ
Is it suitable for beginners?
Independent riding from shore is rated advanced because the launch is small, crowded and turbulent with immediate deep water; beginners are directed to boat-based school lessons instead.
What is the wind like?
Plage Nord gets a fair-weather north thermal around 8-12 knots on typical summer days, while Treffort is known for a strong south wind called vent de Sisteron that can reach 25-40 knots in boosted episodes.
Are there kite schools or rental?
Local schools including Teknikite, Freekite School and Wing and Foil School Monteynard teach from safety boats with radio in open water, from early May to late September.
Are there rules, permits or restricted zones?
Autonomous riders must use the marked launch and navigation areas, carry kitesurf liability insurance, respect right of way for the La Mira passenger boat, and swimming is prohibited on the whole lake.
Last updated: August 2026