Freestone · Granite · Massif Central / Puy-de-Dôme

Dordogne (upper)

A rocky, boulder-strewn mountain stream flowing through autumn woodland on the upper Dordogne near La Bourboule, France.
Contributor photo

The upper Dordogne near La Bourboule, Puy-de-Dôme

Maciej Poltorak

The upper Dordogne flows from Puy-de-Dôme mountains through classic Massif Central terrain — granite and volcanic rock creating cold, clear freestone.

Poor · Brown Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather20°C
WindN 15 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead16.2 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Through the open trout season. Spring olives April through May; sedges through summer evenings.
Where
Pool tails and pocket water through the upper Dordogne valley above the dams. Auvergne freestone.
Method
Upstream dry to risers; dry-dropper through the riffles. The water reads clear — long leader, fine tippet. Move slowly, cast accurately.
Kit
9 ft #4 — French freestone default. Floating line, 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Autumn OliveHatch
1
2
1
GrannomHatch
1
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. A rocky, boulder-strewn mountain stream flowing through autumn woodland on the upper Dordogne near La Bourboule, France.
    The upper Dordogne near La Bourboule, Puy-de-Dôme
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The upper Dordogne flows from Puy-de-Dôme mountains through classic Massif Central terrain — granite and volcanic rock creating cold, clear freestone. Wild brown trout and grayling. Strong mayfly, caddis, and stonefly populations. Designated no-kill parcours on some sections. Upper reaches more technical, lower more accessible. Check local regulations for restrictions.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Good → Moderate corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRFRR105_1 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRFRR105_1

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity46 × 12%5.5
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.1°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 48
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling3rd Saturday of May → 3rd Sunday of September

    France national rule: grayling opens 3rd Saturday of May in all waters. In 1st category (salmonid) rivers, grayling closes with the trout season on the 3rd Sunday of September. Departmental regulations may impose additional restrictions. Always check the relevant département's 2026 arrêté préfectoral.

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsPyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts