Lakes in German-speaking Switzerland
The 25 lakes in German-speaking Switzerland tracked by meteo-ch.ch, each with its area, depth, altitude and the winds that rise on it. The largest is Lake Constance (536 km²), the deepest Lake Brienz (260 m). Every lake has its own weather page, with wind direction and gusts.
| Lake | Cantons | Altitude | Area | Depth | Winds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Constance | TG, SG | 395 m | 536.0 km² | 251 m | Westwind, Föhn, Bise |
| Lake Neuchâtel | NE, VD, FR, BE | 429 m | 218.0 km² | 152 m | joran (NW), bise (NE), vent d'ouest |
| Lake Lucerne | LU, NW, OW, SZ, UR | 434 m | 114.0 km² | 214 m | Föhn (S), Bise (NE), Westwind |
| Lake Zurich | ZH, SG, SZ | 406 m | 88.0 km² | 136 m | Westwind, Bise (NE), Föhn |
| Lake Thun | BE | 558 m | 48.0 km² | 217 m | Föhn (SE), Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Biel | BE, NE | 429 m | 39.0 km² | 74 m | joran (NW), bise (NE) |
| Lake Zug | ZG, SZ, LU | 413 m | 38.0 km² | 198 m | Westwind, Bise, Föhn |
| Lake Brienz | BE | 564 m | 30.0 km² | 260 m | Föhn, Westwind |
| Lake Walen | SG, GL | 419 m | 24.0 km² | 150 m | Föhn (starke Böen), Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Sempach | LU | 504 m | 14.0 km² | 87 m | Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Hallwil | AG, LU | 449 m | 10.0 km² | 47 m | Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Greifen | ZH | 435 m | 8.5 km² | 32 m | Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Sarnen | OW | 469 m | 7.4 km² | 52 m | Föhn, Westwind |
| Lake Ägeri | ZG | 724 m | 7.2 km² | 82 m | Westwind, Föhn, Bise |
| Lake Sils | GR | 1 797 m | 4.1 km² | 71 m | Malojawind (SW, nachmittags, thermisch) |
| Lake Pfäffikon | ZH | 537 m | 3.3 km² | 35 m | Westwind, Bise |
| Lake Klöntal | GL | 848 m | 3.3 km² | 47 m | Talwind, Föhn |
| Lake Silvaplana | GR | 1 791 m | 2.7 km² | 77 m | Malojawind (SW, 13–17 h), Kitesurf/Windsurf |
| Lake Lungern | OW | 689 m | 2.0 km² | 68 m | Föhn, Talwind |
| Lake Poschiavo | GR | 962 m | 2.0 km² | 85 m | brezza di valle |
| Lake Oeschinen | BE | 1 578 m | 1.1 km² | 56 m | vents thermiques de montagne |
| Lake St. Moritz | GR | 1 768 m | 0.8 km² | 44 m | Malojawind, thermische Winde |
| Lake Davos | GR | 1 560 m | 0.6 km² | 54 m | Talwind (thermisch, nachmittags), Surfen |
| Lake Cauma | GR | 997 m | 0.1 km² | 30 m | abrité, vents faibles |
| Blausee | BE | 887 m | 0.0 km² | 10 m | abrité (forêt) |
The wind, not the temperature
On a lake, what decides an outing is almost never the air temperature: it is the wind. These 25 lakes add up to 1 202 km² of water, and each has its own regimes — the bise coming down from the north-east, the joran dropping off the Jura in minutes, the afternoon thermal breeze.
That is why the lake pages give direction and gusts, not just the mean speed: 15 km/h on average with gusts to 45 is not the same day as a steady 15.
See also
Do these pages give the water temperature?
No. A lake's water temperature depends on depth, mixing and the sunshine of preceding weeks; no open source publishes it for the 25 lakes tracked. The pages give air, wind and precipitation.
Why does depth appear in the table?
Because it explains how the lake behaves. Lake Brienz (260 m) warms slowly and never freezes; a shallow lake follows the air closely and can ice over in a cold winter.