Stillwater · Granite · Lozère / Margeride, FR

Lac de Naussac

Lac de Naussac reservoir with lakeside village on the far shore, Margeride, Lozère, France

Naussac is an eleven-hundred-hectare reservoir on the Margeride granite — built in 1983 to store Allier headwater flow for the Loire irrigation network downstream — and it fishes like a genuine upland water despite its artificial origins.

Closed season · Rainbow
Hare's Ear Nymph · 14–16
Closed season
Season reopens 2nd Saturday of March. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.

Lac de Naussac is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindNW 12 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph14–16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
NW 12 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp6.6°C
Air temp-1°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftNW wind
North-western end

A northwesterly has held for 6 hours, running colder than the water (0°C air against 7°C water). The end it blows into is taking that chilled surface water, so try the sheltered north-western end instead — off the back of the wind, where the undertow returns food along the bottom. That chill sits in the top of the water, though, and the bed is slower to feel it — on a bottom bait it is the undertow, not the temperature, that puts you at this end. 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
Current conditions suit Lac de Naussac well for winter tactics. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Perdigón (16–18) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Perdigón (16–18) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

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 3 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
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
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

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.
  • AAPPMA Lozère
  • 2ème catégorie reservoir
  • Boat access from Naussac village
  • Float tubes permitted.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
79%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Lac de Naussac — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
Allier (Upper, Langogne–Langeac)
4.0 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Loire (Upper)
28 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Chassezac
37 km
Brown trout
Ardèche (Upper, Aubenas Headwaters)
40 km
Brown trout
Tarn (Upper)
43 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac de Naussac reservoir with lakeside village on the far shore, Margeride, Lozère, France
    Lac de Naussac, Margeride
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Brown trout, rainbow trout (stocked), pike, perch, and zander all hold here, with the trout dominating the upper reaches near the inflow and the predators working the open water. The lake sits at around 940 metres so the season is cool-weighted: fly fishing peaks in May and again in September, with a productive autumn run through to mid-October before the Lozère winter sets in properly. Boat access is good, float tubes are allowed, and the shoreline access around Naussac village and the Chambouret arm is straightforward. Good, under-visited water.

  • Reservoir
  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Failing to achieve good
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good and chemical status Good → Failing to achieve good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRGL113 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRGL113

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Booking & contacts
Permits & access
  • Commercial Trout Fishery
    Commercial managed trout fishery. Contact venue directly for day ticket availability and pricing.
At a glance

Lac de Naussac is a reservoir in Lozère / Margeride, France. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 943 m above sea level. Species listed for this water: brown trout, rainbow trout and pike. The trout season is recorded as running from 2nd Saturday of March to 3rd Sunday of September. Best window recorded for anglers: May–June and September–October. Core methods listed: Shore wet fly; nymph; streamer (pike). Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Access is recorded as a commercial water paid for per visit. Nearby waters in our listings include Allier (Upper, Langogne–Langeac) at 4.0 km, Loire (Upper) at 28 km and Chassezac at 37 km.