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

Dordogne (upper)

Dordogne (upper) terrain map
Terrain map

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

Good · Brown Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.38 m
  • Water temp16.5°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.38 m
Water temp16.5°C
ClarityClear
Weather16°C
WindSW 9 km/h
Pressure1023 hPa
Rain · recent22.5 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
17°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
Good — water clarity is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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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
Other water nearby · 5
Lac Chauvet
44 km
Brown trout
Lac Guéry
50 km
Brown trout
Lac Pavin
50 km
Brown trout · Char
Lac du Pêcher
53 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Lac Servières
54 km
Brown trout
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 75%
How the 77 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature88 × 28%24.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity54 × 12%6.5
Conditions total= 77
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
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
Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsPyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts