Estavayer-le-Lac is first mentioned in 1156 as Stavaiel. In 1228 it was mentioned as Estavaier. The municipality was formerly known by its German name St�ffis am See, however, that name is no longer used.
The lake shore near Estavayer-le-Lac was inhabited during the Neolithic era. The lake shore settlement at La Tuill�re is from the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. It was first explored in 1857, but the main excavation happened in 1969 in preparation for a large construction project. Two late Bronze Age (11th-9th century BC) sites were also discovered; Pianta II, first mentioned in 1860, and Station II or T�nevi�res, which was mentioned in 1856 and excavated in 1878-79. Unfortunately, most of the 19th Century discoveries were looted by treasure hunters and the material was spread among several museums. The quality and quantity of the finds show that there was a large and sophisticated bronze industry along the lake shore at the beginning of the first Millennium BC. The craftsmen produced needles, knives and wheels in large numbers, the majority of which were probably intended for trade. The Bronze Age pile dwellings along the lake shore were abandoned around 850 BC.
During the early Iron Age (800-450 BC) the largest settlements moved from the lake shore to high ground or fortified hills. The area of La Motte Chatel in the heart of today's Estavayer-le-Lac was likely inhabited during this time. One of the most interesting finds from this era is the Hallstatt era iron dagger from 650-550 BC. It was found by chance in the 1950s and was probably buried as an offering. It is one of the best preserved and technically successful example of an antenna dagger (so called for the rolled ends). The dagger built from 30 forged pieces that were riveted together, the sheath is composed of 25 pieces that were welded together.
The city was founded sometime in the 12th Century. Due to the close ties between the Bishop of Lausanne and the noble d'Estavayer (German:von
