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

Lac Pavin

Lac Pavin — Besse Lac Pavin1
Fair · Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lac Pavin
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
57% confidence

Lac Pavin is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 22 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
SW 22 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp13.2°C
Air temp11°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1020 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
Through the open lake season. Spring buzzers and damsels April through June; daphnia mid-summer; sedges into September.
Where
Drift lines along the volcanic-crater margins. Pavin is a small deep maar lake — fish hold on structural edges of the steep-sided basin.
Method
Drift on a floater with team-of-three traditional wets in spring; midge-tip in summer. The small lake size doesn't need a drogue.
Kit
10 ft #6 boat rod; floating, slow-intermediate, and sink-tip lines; 5 to 6 lb fluoro tippet. Drogue and a long-handled net.
The plan
Plan A

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

Sedge should come on through the afternoon as the water warms.

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August 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
Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA Puy-de-Dôme
  • Standard 1ère catégorie
  • Boat fishing authorised (check current regulation for boat type).
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Lac Pavin's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
Lac Chauvet
6.0 km
Brown trout
Lac Chambon
8.0 km
Brown trout
Lac Guéry
14 km
Brown trout
Lac Servières
16 km
Brown trout
Fontsalade
19 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac Pavin — Besse Lac Pavin1
    Besse Lac Pavin1
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Good
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRGL125 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRGL125

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Char varies_by_lake → varies_by_lake

    French lake char (omble chevalier / omble de fontaine) — seasons and retention rules are set by departmental regulations and local fishing associations (AAPPMA). French char lakes are often managed with strict rules. Check the local AAPPMA or departmental fishing regulations before targeting char.

Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperaturePyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts