Stillwater · Mixed · Ariège / Pyrenees (Massat-Vicdessos), FR

Étang de Lers

Mountain lake at ~1300 m in central Ariège Pyrenees.

Fair · Trout
Hare's Ear Nymph · 14-16
New ruleReported 21 Sept 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

VigiEau lists this venue's surface-water zone (Zone d'alerte n°6_Le Salat, dépt 09) 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°38114 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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 Étang de Lers
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
53% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSE 16 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Gentle breeze
SE 16 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp17.6°C
Air temp18°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1018 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
May–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. Move along the bank and try a different angle or depth before changing fly.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

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 2 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 5 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Through the year
0–3 scale · September 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

French nymph-first water. Fast current, technical presentation, weighted nymphs and emergers, with dry flies when fish rise.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
77%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp100%

A good match for Étang de Lers — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Spullersee in the Lechquellengebirge
About this water

Mountain lake at ~1300 m in central Ariège Pyrenees. Trout fishing from June onward when snowmelt access improves. Alpine lake character with cold, clear water. Hike-in access rewards solitude and pristine conditions. Short season driven by mountain weather. Permits required; check Ariège regulations.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRFRR173_1

Why this score
  • Temperature (moderate) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Daddy longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Booking & contacts