The Weesen–Quinten path along the Walensee never climbs above 712 m (2,336 ft), and a boat crosses the lake all year. The Schwarzsee on the Pizol lies at 2,368 m (7,769 ft), and SchweizMobil warns of snow on that route until early July. The other three lakes in this calendar fall in between.
None of the operators publishes an ice-out date. What they do publish is when the lifts run, when the boats start and when snow is likely, and that's what the months below are built on. Treat every month as "typically": a late spring or an early snowfall moves it.
December to April: the Walensee, and the Oeschinensee on ice
Only the lowest lake works as a walk. From Betlis on the north shore of the Walensee, a 4.3 km (2.7 mi) loop leads to the Seerenbach Falls, which drop 585 m (1,919 ft) in several stages. Amden Weesen Tourism rates it easy and lists it for all months. The boat between Quinten and Murg runs all year too.
The Oeschinensee above Kandersteg freezes. The gondola runs a winter season from early December to early March, and a groomed path leads from the top station to the shore. When the ice is thick enough and covered in snow, the operator prepares an Ice Walk on the lake and posts its status on site. Lac Bleu in the Val d'Hérens is frozen most of the winter, according to the local tourist office. It's a snowshoe trip then, not a lake walk.
May: the Oeschinensee opens up
The Oeschinensee gondola starts its summer season around late April or May. The rowing-boat hire on the lake opens daily from May, weather permitting. A boat costs CHF 40 an hour (as of October 2026), and it stays closed in föhn wind, thunderstorms or fog. From the top station, the Panoramaweg reaches the shore in about 35 minutes on a broad path that takes strollers. See the Oeschinensee guide for the Heuberg loop above the north shore, about 1 hour 15 and for experienced hikers only.
The Lünersee lift in Austria's Brandnertal opens in late May.
June: the Lünersee and the Flumserberg
The Lünerseebahn climbs in six minutes to the dam at 1,970 m (6,463 ft), every 15 minutes from 08:00. The tourism board gives June to October as the best time for the circular trail. It's 6.3 km (3.9 mi) with 89 m (292 ft) of climbing, about 1 hour 50, rated easy. Anticlockwise, it takes strollers as far as the Alpe Lünersee. The Lünersee guide has the map. Bus 580 stops at the valley station.
Above the Walensee's south shore, the Flumserberg lifts open in early June. The BergJet gondola reaches the Maschgenkamm at about 2,020 m (6,627 ft), and a 1.7 km (1.1 mi) high trail follows the ridge to the Prodkamm in about 45 minutes. The Walensee views are the point here. On the north shore, the Weesen–Quinten path takes about 3½ hours (10.2 km, 6.3 mi) through tunnels and rock cuttings to car-free Quinten, where figs and kiwis grow. The Flumserberg and Walensee guide has both walks.
July: the Pizol and Lac Bleu
The Pizol lifts start in mid-June, but the five-lakes route crosses a pass at 2,493 m (8,179 ft), and snow can lie there until early July. From Wangs, three lift sections reach the Pizolhütte on the Wangsersee. From there the Pizol five lakes route passes the Wildsee, Schottensee, Schwarzsee and Baschalvasee to the Gaffia station. It's 10 km (6.2 mi), 640 m (2,100 ft) up and 1,000 m (3,281 ft) down, about 3 hours 50 on a mountain trail. The operator asks hikers to start by 11:00. The last lift from Gaffia leaves at 16:30. Heidiland Tourism says swimming in the Pizol lakes is generally allowed, except in the Suntigweidsee reservoir. They're former glacier lakes, though, and much colder than lakes in the valley.
Lac Bleu at 2,090 m (6,857 ft) is reached from La Gouille, near Arolla. The Arolla guide's short loop is 3.3 km (2 mi) with 314 m (1,030 ft) of climbing, about 1 hour 30, through rhododendrons and larch wood. A glacier-fed spring falls into the lake as a waterfall. There's no official season for this walk; July is a cautious placement. Ask Evolène Région about conditions early in the summer.
August and September: all five
All five are open. The Oeschinensee is the one to plan around: in summer, every ascent needs a booked time slot, even with a public-transport ticket.
October and early November: the closing order
The Pizol and Flumserberg lifts stop in mid-October. The Lünerseebahn runs until late October. The Oeschinensee gondola keeps going until early November, with weekend runs after that. The Weesen–Walenstadt boat runs its main timetable until mid-October and a reduced daily one until early November. The Betlis falls walk and the Quinten crossing carry on through the winter.
Before you book
The Oeschinensee's south shore and the head of the lake have been closed since 2019 because of rockfall from the Spitze Stei, so there's no path around the lake. Kandersteg publishes the situation weekly. On the Lünersee, dogs must be leashed and muzzled at the stations and on the lift, and bikes aren't allowed around the lake. Lac Bleu by bus means a change at Les Haudères on the way up from Sion. The Weesen–Quinten path has bare limestone that gets slippery; wear good boots. The Swiss GA and Half-Fare cards aren't valid on the Walensee boats, and the Pizol five-lakes ticket costs CHF 64 for adults (as of October 2026).
For a first trip, pick the month first, then the lake: in June that's the Lünersee, in late July the Pizol.
Last checked: October 2026