Stillwater · Clay · Champagne / Marne–Haute-Marne, FR

Lac du Der-Chantecoq

Lac du Der-Chantecoq — Lac du Der-Chantecoq (3)

Lac du Der is the biggest artificial lake in France — four thousand eight hundred hectares of managed Champagne floodplain, built in 1974 to stop the Marne from periodically drowning Paris.

Good · Pike
Large Baitfish Streamer · 15–25cm
Goodlive now
Autumn pike — big fish, big flies
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
79% confidence

Lac du Der-Chantecoq is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindE 11 km/hLight breeze · Gusts to 15 km/h
Today's fly
LB
Large Baitfish Streamer15–25cm
The workhorse of autumn pike fly fishing.
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze · Gusts to 15 km/h
E 11 km/h
N
E
from the east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp8.9°C
Air temp2°C
CloudClear
Pressure1019 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 Pike
When
Pike are feeding aggressively as water cools, building reserves for winter. Weed is dying back, concentrating both pike and prey fish into predictable holding areas.
Where
Autumn/winter pike on the fly — big fish season. Pike are putting on condition and take large flies confidently. Fish dropping weed edges, deep channels, and structure. Start with a sinking line and move to faster-sinking as the water cools. Biggest pike of the year come in this window.
The plan
Plan A

Autumn/winter pike on the fly — big fish season. Pike are putting on condition and take large flies confidently. Fish dropping weed edges, deep channels, and structure. Start with a sinking line and move to faster-sinking as the water cools. Biggest pike of the year come in this window.

Plan B

Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.

Watch for

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

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · November 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
Pike fly box

Probably the best pike fly fishing window of the year. Cooling water activates pike metabolism and baitfish shoal up before winter, concentrating the predators. Fish are aggressive feeders moving to windward banks, dropoffs, and points where baitfish are pushed. Large profile baitfish streamers on intermediate lines retrieved at medium pace, with pauses at structure edges. Count-down retrieves to find the active depth. Fish move — cover ground rather than working one spot.

LB
Large Baitfish StreamerTop
15–25cm · Fly
The workhorse of autumn pike fly fishing.
RB
Roach Baitfish
12–20cm · Fly
Roach are the primary prey of pike in most European lowland waters (Netherlands, Ireland, France, England).
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA Marne / Haute-Marne
  • Second category — pike closed Feb–April
  • Drawdown through winter; lake refills in spring
  • Several launch points and authorised fishing zones.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 1
Pisciculture de Cousances aux Bois
57 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac du Der-Chantecoq — Lac du Der-Chantecoq (3)
    Lac du Der-Chantecoq (3)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The ecology it has developed in the half-century since is startlingly productive: vast shoals of roach and bream, which in turn feed pike that grow to sizes people in the Paris basin used to think belonged only in the Baltic. The fly fishery for pike here is now well established — there are guides, specialist tackle shops, and an entire seasonal calendar organised around the April opening. The lake is drawn down through winter for flood control and refills in spring, which creates rich feeding on the flooded margins exactly when the pike are most aggressive. Bring big flies, a fast-sinking line for the deep drop-offs, and a floater for the margin work. Water is coloured; pike are plentiful; do not expect trout.

  • Reservoir
  • Clay
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Good

WFD classification · FRHL04

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Pike Last Saturday of January → End of December
Related guides
Winter Pike on the Flyfeatured in this guideBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Lac du Der-Chantecoq is a reservoir in Champagne / Marne–Haute-Marne, France. The catchment geology is recorded as clay, and the water sits at about 131 m above sea level. The species listed for this water is pike. The pike season is recorded as running from Last Saturday of January to End of December. Best window recorded for anglers: May–June and September–October (pike closed Feb–April). Core methods listed: Pike streamer; poppers; float-tube fly. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as moderate. Access is recorded as day tickets through the local AAPPMA (angling association). Nearby waters in our listings include Pisciculture de Cousances aux Bois at 57 km.