Freestone · Granite · Hautes-Pyrénées / Cauterets

Gave du Marcadau

Gave du Marcadau venue image
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Tributary of the Gave de Pau at Cauterets, flowing through a granite valley where the light seems to sharpen the mountains.

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
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp10.7°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp10.7°C
ClarityClear
Weather7°C
WindN 6 km/h
Pressure1027 hPa
Rain · recent3.7 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Ideal
11°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Late spring through early autumn — high alpine tributary, fishes only when snow has cleared. June through September realistically.
Where
Pocket water through the Cauterets valley. High Pyrenean character — clear cold water, intimate scale.
Method
Short upstream dry-dropper to wild fish in pocket water. The Marcadau is small mountain water — short casts, quiet wading.
Kit
8 ft #3 — small alpine stream. Floating line, 9 to 12 ft leader to 4 lb fluoro. Studded boots.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is working for you, but insect activity is the limiting factor today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 4 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
Alpine RhithrogenaHatch
2
3
3
2
Sculpin / Baitfish (Rivers)Hatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
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.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits
  • Fly-only sections common in Pyrenees.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Lac des Especières
28 km
Brown trout
Cinca
41 km
80
Brown trout
Ara
43 km
79
Brown trout
Gave d'Estaubé
47 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gave d'Ossau
48 km
82
Brown trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Tributary of the Gave de Pau at Cauterets, flowing through a granite valley where the light seems to sharpen the mountains. ~1300 m designated no-kill fly-only (barbless hooks required). Wild brown trout in pristine conditions. High altitude, short season, responsive to snowmelt. Best from June when water clears.

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

WFD classification · FRFRR245_3

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 75%
How the 78 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity38 × 12%4.6
Conditions total= 78
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