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.

Fair · Rainbow
Hare's Ear Nymph · 14-16
New ruleReported 12 Sept 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

VigiEau lists this venue's surface-water zone (bassin de l'Allier amont, dépt 48) 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°38072 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Fairlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Lac de Naussac
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
63% confidence

Lac de Naussac is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSE 30 km/hFresh breeze
Today's fly
Hare's Ear Nymph
Hare's Ear Nymph14-16
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Fresh breeze
SE 30 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp15.5°C
Air temp15°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Wind driftSE wind
North-western end

A southeasterly has held for 6 hours at much the same temperature as the 16°C water. No thermal steer either way, but the drift still stacks food against the north-western end — the bank it is blowing into — so start there. 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 at Lac de Naussac.
Where
Start with Perdigón (16-18) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Perdigón (16-18) — on the point — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely.

Plan B

If the main plan stalls, drop to a size 14–16 midge — switch to a washing-line or suspender rig and change drift line before you change food group.

Watch for

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

Bank, sheltered shores

In wind, bank fish the lee shore — boats can anchor in productive areas if conditions allow.

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 5 as a supporter.

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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
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
72%
Cloud100%
Wind30%
Temp100%

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

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. 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 (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
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.