Stillwater · Granite · Vosges / Haut-Rhin (Rimbach-près-Masevaux), FR

Lac des Perches (Sternsee)

Lac des Perches (Sternsee), a forested mountain lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux, Haut-Rhin, France

Upland lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux reached by hiking from the valley.

Fair · Trout
Diawl Bach · 12-14
New ruleReported 23 Jul 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

VigiEau lists this venue's surface-water zone (bassins de la Doller amont, de la Fecht, de la Weiss et de la Lauch, dépt 68) at crise, 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°37430 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Lac des Perches (Sternsee)
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
56% confidence

Lac des Perches (Sternsee) is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • Wind12 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
12 km/h
calmblown out
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp17.0°C
Air temp17°C
CloudBroken
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May–September
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 4 guilds as a supporter.

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14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Trout 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.
  • Vosges AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
74%
Cloud100%
Wind65%
Temp60%

A good match for Lac des Perches (Sternsee) — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac des Perches (Sternsee), a forested mountain lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux, Haut-Rhin, France
    Lac des Perches, Vosges
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Upland lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux reached by hiking from the valley. Fario trout and char. Cold, clear water in pristine mountain conditions. Shore fishing only. Solitude and mountain views part of the experience. Spring through early autumn. Permits required; check Haut-Rhin regulations.

  • Lake
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code removed 2026-06-18: this alpine lake was incorrectly sharing the Doller river's code FRCR53 (and showing the river's status). EEA WISE has no dedicated lake (LW) water body for Lac des Perches, so status is left Unknown. Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu. | Prior note: WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRCR53 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

Why this score
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Daddy Longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Char varies_by_lake → varies_by_lake

    French lake char (omble chevalier / omble de fontaine) — seasons and retention rules are set by departmental regulations and local fishing associations (AAPPMA). French char lakes are often managed with strict rules. Check the local AAPPMA or departmental fishing regulations before targeting char.

Related guides
Booking & contacts