Freestone · Granite · Vosges / Vosges (88) (Plaine valley), FR

Plaine

Plaine terrain map

The Plaine flows through Vosges foothills where strict regulation protects wild trout and grayling.

Poor · Grayling
Pink Grayling Bug · Hook 16
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.42 mLast reading 14 min ago
  • Water temp8.1°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pink Grayling Bug
Pink Grayling BugHook 16
in season · all-rounder
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.42 m
Last reading 14 min ago
Water temp8.1°C
ClarityClear
Weather1°C
WindE 17 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.1 mm
Rain · ahead11.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Grayling
Ideal
8°C est.ideal 4–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Grayling
When
Autumn through November prime.
Where
Faster runs in the middle and lower Plaine.
Method
Euro-nymphing through the deeper pockets; switch to dries when sedges or olives come off in autumn afternoons.
Kit
10 ft #3 nymphing rod for the deep pockets; 9 ft #4 for dries. 4 to 5 lb fluoro tippet, 12 ft leader.
Likely species
Stoneflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 6 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

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
Grayling seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
1
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1
Autumn OliveHatch
1
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Grayling fly box

More balanced than the mountain-river pack. French nymphing still matters, but there is more room for dries, spiders and general searching flies.

Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón
Hook 14–18 · Fly
in season
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Moselotte
58 km
0
Brown trout · Grayling
Rabodeau
14 km
Brown trout
Messang Salmoniculture
18 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Vologne
45 km
Brown trout
Domaine de Champs sur l'Eau
46 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Char
About this water

Fly-only beats with no-kill and barbless-hook requirements on designated sections. Granitic freestone with responsive Baetis and caddis. Local-strain wild trout are the prize and responsibility. Spring through early autumn. Verify Vosges AAPPMA rules before visiting.

Hatches & food

In Vosges granite catchments, trout in cool freestone streams feed on early and spring olives once levels settle after winter, daytime stoneflies over clean, stony runs, a broad band of evening caddis supported by rich bug life in the region, steady small buzzer activity on mild days, and terrestrials strongest where the river is hemmed in by forest.

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

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRCR295 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRCR295

The full read · show the working · for Grayling · confidence 75%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time60 × 13%7.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity38 × 12%4.6
Conditions total= 79
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling 3rd Saturday of May → 3rd Sunday of September

    France national rule: grayling opens 3rd Saturday of May in all waters. In 1st category (salmonid) rivers, grayling closes with the trout season on the 3rd Sunday of September. Departmental regulations may impose additional restrictions. Always check the relevant département's 2026 arrêté préfectoral.

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsPyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Plaine is a freestone river in Vosges / Vosges (88) (Plaine valley), France. The catchment geology is recorded as granite, and the water sits at about 345 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 15 km long. Species listed for this water: brown trout and grayling. The trout season is recorded as running from 2nd Saturday of March to 3rd Sunday of September. The grayling season is recorded as running from 3rd Saturday of May to 3rd Sunday of September. Best window recorded for anglers: March–September. Core methods listed: Short-line nymphing; dry fly. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as good. Access is recorded as day tickets through the local AAPPMA (angling association). Nearby waters in our listings include Rabodeau at 14 km, Messang Salmoniculture at 18 km and Vologne at 45 km.