Freestone · Granite · South Bohemia / Šumava

Otava

Otava venue image
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One of the major trout and grayling rivers in Šumava / South-West Bohemia, with about 30 km of fishable salmonid sections.

Poor · Brown Trout
Czech Nymph · 10-14
Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River dropping into shape after a lift. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level0.50 mDropping after lift
  • Water temp22.1°C
  • ClaritySlightly colouredClearing
Today’s fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph10-14
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.50 m
lowspate
Water temp22.1°C
ClaritySlightly coloured
Weather28°C
WindNE 6 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent8.7 mm
Rain · ahead22.5 mm

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22.1°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
1
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Autumn OliveHatch
1
2
1
GrannomHatch
1
1

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

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • State licence + local permit
  • Multiple quality sections with fly-only rule
  • Brown trout protected Sep 1–Apr 15
  • Grayling protected Dec 1–Jun 15.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

One of the major trout and grayling rivers in Šumava / South-West Bohemia, with about 30 km of fishable salmonid sections. The last salmonid stretches are predominantly grayling with some brown trout, while upper sections hold more trout. Mixed pools and riffles with character varying stretch to stretch. Methods range from dry and wet fly to nymphs and streamers. CzechNymph describes it as the most significant western Šumava fly river.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Failing to achieve good

WFD classification · CZHVL_1250

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow40 × 22%8.8
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity19 × 12%2.3
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.1°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 41
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
Cooler water — back toward the 10–16 °C ideal band — would lift the score and ease welfare.
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout16 April → 31 August
  • Grayling16 June → 30 November
Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts