While the socio-economical importance of blue spaces (i.e., aquatic environments) for tourism and recreation is well established, the literature also demonstrates that the contact with nature, particularly with water-related landscapes, has positive impacts on human health and well-being (Gascon et al., 2017). Among the diversity of blue spaces, those associated with lakes and similar inland freshwater bodies (such as reservoirs, pit lakes, or ponds) are specifically associated with values of calm, tranquillity, rejuvenation, and serenity (Schirpke et al., 2022). In the context of global warming, these areas are likely to be subject to new environmental pressures, such as changes in water quantity and quality conditions. But, they are also expected to attract more visitors (Pröbstl-Haider et al., 2021), especially during heat waves, thanks to their “cooling island” effect (i.e., places where air temperature is lower than in the surrounding areas) (Du et al., 2016) and to the physical contact with water through activities such as bathing.However, the recreational issues that these inland waterbodies are facing in a warming world are much less well-known compared to other recreational areas such as coastal or mountain regions. In particular, the way in which the stakeholders in charge of managing them (elected officials, nature-based firms, public agencies, associations...) perceive both their recreational potential and their environmental vulnerabilities is very uneven. Analysing the representations and the issues debated in the public arena about the recreational uses of these blue spaces thus provides insights into the implemented projects, as well as the obstacles that remain to be overcome.The work we present in this communication is part of a wider investigation into the potential role of lakes and other inland freshwater bodies in the ecological transition, with a particular focus on two dimensions. First, we study their contribution to climate change adaptation, considering that they provide two key elements in a warming world: physical contact with water and cooler air temperatures. Compared to coastal areas, we also believe that these inland waterbodies are accessible to a much larger number of people. Making them (even more) available for recreational uses would then become another instrument for tackling environmental inequalities, especially in urban areas. Second, we examine the potential of inland waterbodies for tourism transition, considering them as very common and numerous local recreational resources, likely to foster the development of proximity tourism and therefore to reduce the carbon footprint of tourism.