Lake fish

Haute-Savoie has two big lakes, Lake Annecy and Lake Geneva, and so a real tradition of freshwater fish. On the menus of lakeside restaurants, lake fish holds the place the sea holds elsewhere. A few species dominate, from the noblest to the simplest, all caught locally by the last professional fishermen.

Arctic char, the noblest

Arctic char is the great fish of the alpine lakes. A salmonid with fine pink flesh, isolated in the deep lakes since the ice ages, descended from fish that came from arctic zones. It is the culinary speciality of Lake Annecy, prized and expensive, cooked simply so as not to mask its delicacy: meunière, in butter, or poached. It is the fish to choose for a slightly special meal by the lake.

Whitefish, the everyday catch

The féra (or whitefish) is the most fished species in Lake Geneva; in Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget it is more often called lavaret, a very close cousin. Its flesh is tender, fragile, with a discreet taste, which makes it an easy, versatile fish. It is the most common lake fish on the menu, often served as fillets meunière, with a base of Savoie wine. Good and affordable, it goes very well with a Chablais white.

Perch, pike and the rest

Perch is served as fillets, breaded or pan-fried, a classic of Lake Geneva and Lake Annecy restaurants. Pike, firmer, is cooked as quenelles or with beurre blanc. You also find lake trout and, more rarely, freshwater burbot. These fish make up the everyday of lake cooking, less prestigious than char but rooted in local habits.

A professional fishery that is fading

Behind these fish lies a trade that is disappearing. Only Lake Geneva, Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy remain open to professional fishing, and the fishermen are now few: barely two still working on Lake Annecy. They haul their nets at dawn, Monday to Saturday. Choosing a lake fish at a restaurant or from the fisherman directly supports this fragile sector and means eating a truly local product.

Pairings and where to eat it

Lake fish calls for a dry, light white, ideally local. The chasselas-based Chablais crus (Ripaille, Marin, Crépy) are the historic pairing on the shores of Lake Geneva, around Thonon-les-Bains, Évian and Yvoire. On Lake Annecy, Arctic char and lavaret are eaten in the lakeside restaurants. To place these fish among the other specialities, see the Savoyard specialities page.