Chalk · Normandy / Seine-Maritime (Dieppe area)

Arques

Arques venue image
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The Arques is a quiet Normandy chalk stream near Dieppe that holds a genuine sea trout run alongside its resident brown trout and grayling — 28 declared sea trout in 2024, which places it ahead of several more famous French migratory rivers.

Species

A good day — worth the effort

Low and clear — careful approach country. Small and bright, long leader, careful approach.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for sea trout
Ideal
9°C est.ideal 8–15°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for sea trout
  • Temperature10028% weight
  • Flow6022% weight
  • Clarity8518% weight
  • Feeding Time5513% weight
  • Pressure857% weight
  • Prey Activity3912% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.1°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
10°C
Wind
SW 14 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1012 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
5.5 mm
Light rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for sea trout
When
Sea trout open in 2026 — better than many of the famous rivers (28 declared rod catches in 2024). Main run summer through October. Evening into night where AAPPMA night extension applies on lower beats.
Where
Lower Arques pool tails through to the Dieppe tidal limit. Pool tails walked in daylight before fishing them at night.
Method
Across-and-down on a floating line with size 10 to 12 wets — Steer's Head, Stoat's Tail, soft-hackle emerger. Steady swing, never hurry. Carte de pêche with timbre migrateur required.
Kit
10 ft #6/7, floating line, 8 lb fluoro tippet. Spare leader on a wrist spool.
Why this works
Good conditions. Temperature is favourable (100), Prey activity is weakest (39). ⏰ Sea trout become most active after dark, but this stretch closes at 20:13 — before that window fully opens. Fish hard in the last legal hour: overcast skies and warm evenings can bring fish on early even in fading light.
Through the year
0–3 scale · May highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea trout runRun
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
March BrownHatch
1
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1

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

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits
  • Private estate water on sections.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Arques is a quiet Normandy chalk stream near Dieppe that holds a genuine sea trout run alongside its resident brown trout and grayling — 28 declared sea trout in 2024, which places it ahead of several more famous French migratory rivers. The chalk character gives it stable, clear water and prolific invertebrate life. Small olives and evening sedges sustain selective dry-fly fishing for brown trout through the season. Sea trout enter from the estuary and run on spate water, providing a secondary but credible target from summer through autumn.

  • Chalk
Seasons & zones
  • Sea trout25 April → 25 October
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling3rd Saturday of May → 31 December

Sea trout: Open (2026) — Credible secondary sea trout river. 28 declared rod catches in 2024 — better than many historic glamour rivers.

Other water nearby · 5
Booking & contacts