Stillwater · Mixed · Île-de-France / Paris (Bois de Vincennes), FR

Lac de Gravelle

Lac de Gravelle in the Bois de Vincennes, Paris, with reflections of trees and lakeside buildings

A one-hectare lake tucked into the southern Bois de Vincennes and set aside specifically for fly fishing — a proper Paris oddity.

Fair · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lac de Gravelle
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
57% confidence

Lac de Gravelle is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 12 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
SW 12 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp16.7°C
Air temp21°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftSW wind
North-eastern end

A southwesterly has held for 11 hours, running warmer than the water (22°C air against 17°C water). Expect fish at the north-eastern end — the bank it is blowing into — where the drift piles food, colour and warmth together. This reads the upper water, though — a bottom bait at range feels it far less than a floater or a fish in the margins. Treat it as a tiebreaker between good swims rather than an override — features and angling pressure usually count for more.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The buzzer is on. Daddy Longlegs may also come into play as the day warms. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
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. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

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 3 guilds with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box

Closer to wild-lake trout fishing than to competition réservoirs. More room for naturals, caddis, buzzer, terrestrial and modest lure use.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • APBV permit required
  • No-kill, fly-only, barbless/de-barbed hooks, landing net mandatory
  • Verify rules and ticket availability with the association before fishing.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
69%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp25%

A reasonable day here, though temperature isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Cooler water nearby · 1
Water here around 17°C — probably warm enough to stress Rainbow . These are likely cooler.
Pisciculture de Villette
57 km
~16°C
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Char
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac de Gravelle in the Bois de Vincennes, Paris, with reflections of trees and lakeside buildings
    Lac de Gravelle, Bois de Vincennes
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A one-hectare lake tucked into the southern Bois de Vincennes and set aside specifically for fly fishing — a proper Paris oddity. Managed by the APBV (Association de Pêcheurs au Lancer et à la Mouche du Bois de Vincennes) as a no-kill fly-only fishery: barbless or de-barbed hooks, trout returned, landing nets required. Stocked with rainbow trout and a smaller proportion of browns. Twenty minutes from a Métro stop, which is the point: on a damp Tuesday in April with a southwesterly putting a ripple across the surface, it does a passable impression of somewhere wilder than it is. Day and season permits via the association.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Year-round → Year-round
Related guides
Small Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperaturePyrenees PlaybookFrench rivers
Booking & contacts