They like swimming and diving and feed on water plants as well as vegetation growing on embankments. During the semi-annual winter period, they also feed on other food sources such as roots from trees and bushes. This causes damage to woody plants near the embankments. The burrow entrances are always closed at the earth's surface, open burrows are closed up after a short while. Favourite habitats are meadows, parks, open woods, orchards and home gardens.
Loess soils are particularly suitable.
The water vole often uses the passageways which moles have left behind - the mole's strong shovels are better equipped for digging than the rodent's. During its underground search for earthworms and insect larvae, it extends its passageway system continually, and often leaves parts of it for the water vole. The mounds are relatively high and evenly conical. The vertical burrow is always situated beneath the middle of the mound. As a contrast to this, the water vole transports the earth out of the burrow laterally.