Freestone · Limestone · Hautes-Pyrénées / Gavarnie-Gèdre, FR

Gave d'Estaubé

A mountain stream flowing through a rocky Pyrenean valley below a limestone cliff, crossed by a small footbridge

High mountain gave from source to Lac des Gloriettes, tumbling through ~5 km of protected no-kill stretch — the longest in the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Poor · Grayling
Pink Grayling Bug · Hook 16
New ruleReported 7 Aug 2026

Severe drought restrictions (alerte renforcée) in force

VigiEau lists this venue's surface-water zone (Bassin du Gave d'Oloron, dépt 64) at alerte renforcée, 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°37628 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp9.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pink Grayling Bug
Pink Grayling BugHook 16
in season · matches water height · all-rounder
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp9.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather8°C
WindS 15 km/h
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent9.2 mm
Rain · ahead14.6 mm

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

Water temperature for Grayling
Ideal
9°C est.ideal 4–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Grayling
When
Autumn — September through October prime. Grayling are present but sparse in this high-altitude water.
Where
Slower glides in the lower Estaubé where gradient eases.
Method
Euro-nymphing through the slower pockets; dries on autumn afternoons.
Kit
10 ft #3 nymphing rod for the deep pockets; 9 ft #4 for dries. 4 to 5 lb fluoro tippet, 12 ft leader.
Likely species
Mayflies
Stoneflies
Caddisflies
Damselflies & dragonflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 8 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 5 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

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
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Alpine RhithrogenaHatch
2
3
3
2
Sculpin / Baitfish (Rivers)Hatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
March BrownHatch
2
3
2
Late March BrownHatch
2
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Grayling fly box

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

Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón
Hook 14–18 · Fly
in season · matches water height
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits
  • Many parcours are fly-only and catch-and-release.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Lac des Especières
9.0 km
Brown trout
Gave du Marcadau
21 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Ara
21 km
Brown trout
Cinca
22 km
Brown trout
La Truite des Pyrénées
31 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. A mountain stream flowing through a rocky Pyrenean valley below a limestone cliff, crossed by a small footbridge
    The Gave d'Estaube below the cirque, Gedre
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

High mountain gave from source to Lac des Gloriettes, tumbling through ~5 km of protected no-kill stretch — the longest in the Hautes-Pyrénées. Fly-only, barbless regulation protects pristine conditions. Wild brown trout in alpine freestone. Spectacular granite terrain with technical pocket-water fishing. Short season driven by snowmelt. This is backcountry water for those seeking wilderness and wild fish.

Hatches & food

In the Pyrenean gaves and headwater torrents, resident brown trout move from early-season olives and March browns into strong spring and early-summer stonefly activity, then a long spell of evening caddis and small buzzers, with terrestrials most relevant on wooded lower gaves and much less important high above the tree line.

  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRFRR404_2

The full read · show the working · for Grayling · confidence 90%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity69 × 12%8.3
Conditions total= 81
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling 3rd Saturday of May → 3rd Sunday of September

    France national rule: grayling opens 3rd Saturday of May in all waters. In 1st category (salmonid) rivers, grayling closes with the trout season on the 3rd Sunday of September. Departmental regulations may impose additional restrictions. Always check the relevant département's 2026 arrêté préfectoral.

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsPyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts