Stillwater · Volcanic · Auvergne / Puy-de-Dôme (Monts Dore), FR

Lac Chauvet

Aerial view of the round volcanic Lac Chauvet surrounded by forest and farmland in the Monts Dore, Puy-de-Dôme, France
Fair · Trout
Hare's Ear Nymph · 14-16
New ruleReported 20 Aug 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

VigiEau lists this venue's surface-water zone (13 - Dordogne amont, dépt 63) at crise, under an official préfectoral drought arrêté. Fishing is not itself banned by it, but water levels are low — go gently on stressed fish.

Arrêté préfectoral n°37758 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date. Always confirm locally before travelling.

Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lac Chauvet
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
55% confidence

Lac Chauvet is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 8 km/hLight breeze · Gusts to 9 km/h
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze · Gusts to 9 km/h
W 8 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveRipple
Water temp11.6°C
Air temp11°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1026 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Trout
When
April–September
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Buzzer may strengthen through the middle of the day as conditions warm.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA Puy-de-Dôme
  • Standard 1ère catégorie season.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Lac Chauvet — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Dordogne (upper)
19 km
0
Brown trout · Grayling
Lac Pavin
6.0 km
Brown trout · Char
Lac Chambon
14 km
Brown trout
Lac Guéry
17 km
Brown trout
Lac Servières
21 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Aerial view of the round volcanic Lac Chauvet surrounded by forest and farmland in the Monts Dore, Puy-de-Dôme, France
    Lac Chauvet, Monts Dore
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Good
What this classification means

WFD chemical status Failing to achieve good → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRFL32 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRFL32

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2.º Saturday de March → 3.º Sunday de September
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperaturePyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts