Lake Neuchâtel (in French: Lac de Neuchâtel, in German: Neuenburgersee) is a lake in Western Switzerland (French-speaking Switzerland). The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, of Fribourg, and of Bern.
With a surface of 218.3 km², it is the largest lake entirely in Switzerland, as the larger Lake Geneva is shared with France and Lake Constance with Germany and Austria. Lake Neuchâtel is 38.3 km long and no more than 8.2 km large. Its surface is 429 m above sea-level, with a maximum depth of 152 m. The total water volume is 14.0 km³ and drainage area approximatively of 2.670 km².
The lake receives the Orbe River (called Thièle when it flows into the lake), the Arnon , the Areuse (which traverses the Val de Travers ), Seyon (flowing through the Val de Ruz ), the canal de la Sauge (which drains Lake Murten and receives the Broye River ), and the Mentue (at Yvonand ). The canal of Thielle (or Zihl in German) drains the lake into Lake Biel/Bienne and is part of regulation system for the lakes and the rivers of the Seeland region.
List of city and places on the lake
Northwestern shore
From Yverdon to Marin (Southwest to Northeast):
Southeastern shore
From Yverdon.
- Yvonand , Vaud
- Châbles , Fribourg
- Cheyres , Fribourg
- Estavayer-le-Lac , Fribourg
- Forel, Fribourg
- Chevroux, Vaud
- Portalban , Fribourg
- Champmartin, Vaud
- Cudrefin, Vaud
- Witzwil , Bern
