Created at the beginning of the 1970s as a water reservoir for Metz, Madine Lake now fulfills two more purposes. It is also a national hunting and wildlife reserve and a recreational area. The climate that surrounds it is of degraded oceanic type with a continental influence. It often generates thick fog over its waters in spring and autumn, making the lake's shores almost entirely disappear. Madine Lake experiences around 60 days of fog per year and 20 days of snow on average.