Freestone · Limestone · Alps / Haute-Savoie, FR

Giffre

A wide, stony braided river channel with turquoise water flowing past forested slopes and snow-covered Alpine peaks near Samoëns, France.

Major Haute-Savoie mountain river system.

Today · Closed season
Sculpin Streamer
Forecast · Today
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
45% projected
Today's fly
Sculpin Streamer
Sculpin Streamer
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Rising
0.41 m
Lifting fast
Water temp9.9°C
ClarityUnfishable
Weather6°C
WindN 5 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent27.5 mm
Rain · ahead18.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
10°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Through the open trout season — late spring through autumn. The Giffre is glacial-influenced from Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval; fishes after snowmelt drops.
Where
Pool tails and pocket water through the Haute-Savoie valley. Alpine freestone — fast pockets, undercut banks.
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.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

12pm(now) — Autumn Needle Fly

Stage: Creeping nymphsApproach: Heavy nymphActivity: 40%
Also:Autumn Olive23%
Peak emergence window4 food groups active

Peak activity at 11am — Autumn Needle Fly (Autumn Needle Fly, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

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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 · November 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
Brown 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.
  • Alpine AAPPMA permits
  • Catch-and-release encouraged.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Arve
10 km
0
Brown trout
Borne
16 km
0
Brown trout · Grayling
Nom
24 km
0
Brown trout
Fillière
30 km
0
Brown trout
Pisciculture des Meuniers
19 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Char
Gallery · 2
  1. A wide, stony braided river channel with turquoise water flowing past forested slopes and snow-covered Alpine peaks near Samoëns, France.
    Le Giffre @ Samoëns
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Lower Giffre at Marignier has productive fishing water accessible by wading. Alpine freestone, snowmelt character. Spring through early summer best when water clears. Technical casting in places. Upper reaches more remote and technical. Check AAPPMA for access details and restrictions.

Hatches & food

In true Alpine headwaters, trout feeding is squeezed into a short high-summer slot, with mountain olives and other mayflies following snowmelt, daytime stoneflies over rough, bouldery water, evening caddis on the warmest settled nights, and small buzzers keeping fish interested before, between and after the main up-wing and caddis hatches.

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

WFD classification · FRDR564A

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature91 × 28%25.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity59 × 12%7.1
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
  • 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
At a glance

Giffre is a freestone river in Alps / Haute-Savoie, France. The catchment geology is recorded as limestone, and the water sits at about 501 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 46 km long. Species listed for this water: brown trout and grayling. The trout season is recorded as running from 2nd Saturday of March to 3rd Sunday of September. The grayling season is recorded as running from 3rd Saturday of May to 3rd Sunday of September. Best window recorded for anglers: May–September. Core methods listed: Euro nymphing; dry fly. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Access is recorded as day tickets through the local AAPPMA (angling association). Nearby waters in our listings include Arve at 10 km, Borne at 16 km and Pisciculture des Meuniers at 19 km.