Nature, fishing and diving on Lake Geneva

A living, protected lake

Lake Geneva is a major wintering site for waterbirds; it is home to sought-after fish — perch, whitefish, Arctic char — and, along its shores, fragile reed beds and aquatic plant beds. A good part of its shoreline is protected, on the Swiss and French sides alike: before anchoring, diving or fishing, you need to know where you are.

The essentials in five rules

1. Bird reserves: federal law applies there even without buoys; no kitesurfing, no disturbance.
2. Reed beds and aquatic plant beds: skirt them, don't cross them, and don't drop anchor in them.
3. Fishing: a permit for the shore where you fish, and the current year's rules.
4. Diving: flag A, never in front of a harbour, near a landing stage or on the route of passenger boats; boats keep 50 m away (100 m on the French side).
5. Waste and wastewater: nothing goes into the lake; boats with cabins keep their wastewater on board and empty it ashore (Lake Geneva regulations, art. 10 and 90).

With the Navleman map

The app shows reserves and habitats (Natural habitats menu), waterbird reserves (Lake birds), favourable areas for each fish (Fish and fishing), fishing addresses (at the end of the same menu) and 35 dive sites (Diving).

Open the Lake Geneva map

Articles in this guide

• Reserves and natural habitatsFederal waterbird reserves, Natura 2000, reed beds and aquatic plant beds: what is prohibited, and how to enjoy the lake without causing disturbance.
• FishingWhere to get your permit on each side of the lake, who sets the rules, what you can catch, and where to buy fish from professional fishers.
• Diving35 listed dive sites around the lake, the rules that apply on each side of the border, and the clubs that know them.