Chalk · Normandy / Seine-Maritime, FR

Risle

Risle fishing venue photo

The Risle was Charles Ritz's own water — his stretch was at Aclou, on the middle river — and it is the largest of the Normandy chalk streams.

Today · About as good as it gets
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Today
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Live gauge
Level
Falling
0.23 m
Dropping after lift
Water temp10.0°C
ClaritySlightly coloured
Weather4°C
WindN 14 km/h
Pressure1016 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.8 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
10°C est.ideal 4–14°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Grayling
When
Autumn through November prime. The Risle's grayling fish well in cool chalk water.
Where
Faster gravel runs and the heads of riffles through the middle and lower river. Deeper glide tails into autumn.
Method
Euro-nymphing through the deeper pockets is the daily default; switch to dries on autumn afternoons when sedges and small olives come off. Long fine tippet for the clear water.
Kit
10 ft #3 nymphing rod for the deep pockets; 9 ft #4 for dries. 4 to 5 lb fluoro tippet, 12 ft leader.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is working for you, but time of day is the limiting factor today. Grayling feeds actively in cold water — peak winter sport.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 12pm

12pm(now) — Autumn Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 45%
Also:Autumn Needle Fly32%Black Midge28%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 12pm — Autumn Olive (Autumn Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 4 guilds as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
2
2
2
1
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Mayfly (Green Drake)Hatch
2
2
Brown SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Small SpurwingHatch
2
3
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Grayling fly box

Classic French chalkstream fishing. Gin-clear, weed-rich, slow to moderate flow. Dry fly and sight nymphing dominate. Stronger sedge hatches than English equivalents. French tradition favours flush-sitting dries (comparaduns, CDC patterns) and upstream presentation.

Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón
Hook 14–18 · Fly
in season
Beats · 2 · 1 reaches

The Risle is largely association water: the day or weekly fishing card covers the Pont-Audemer association's no-kill fly reaches. A private hosted stretch at a mill B&B takes enquiries from non-guests, with overnight guests given priority.

Risle · 2 beatsDay rods
Pont-Audemer no-kill fly reaches, Le Roy Moulin
The 2 beats
Pont-Audemer no-kill fly reachesDay tickets
AAPPMA Pont-Audemer
Three no-kill fly reaches on the lower Risle — Corneville-sur-Risle, Appeville-Annebault and Saint-Philibert-sur-Risle — held by the Pont-Audemer association. They come with the normal day or weekly fishing card; there is no separate beat booking.
No-kill. Other stretches of the river sit under different associations — check locally for fly-only and no-kill rules.
Visit official site ↗
Le Roy MoulinEnquiry
Le Roy Moulin (mill B&B)
A private two-channel course of around six kilometres at a mill B&B. Visitors who aren't staying can ask to fish, but overnight guests have priority, so treat it as an enquiry rather than a booking.
No-kill is mandatory.
Visit official site ↗
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 4
  1. Pont sur la Risle à Grosley-sur-Risle
    Pont sur la Risle à Grosley-sur-Risle
  2. Risle — La Risle vue vers l'amont, prise de Saint-Samson-de-la-Roque
    La Risle vue vers l'amont, prise de Saint-Samson-de-la-Roque
  3. Ajou
    Ajou
  4. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

It enters the Eure a modest ten metres across and, once the Charentonne and the Bave are in it, can run to thirty between Brionne and Corneville. That range is the point: the same river asks a different question of the angler every few miles. The lower river is big riffles and long glides over gravel, and its advantage to the fly fisher is that such water can be read from the bank before a line is put on it. Wild brown trout share it with barbel, dace and chub, so a rise is worth identifying before it is covered. Fish the seams where the current concentrates, and do not be shy of a heavier line than the small reaches need — a nine-foot five-weight is not over-gunned here. Upstream dry fly remains the sport, on olives through spring, the danica mayfly at the turn of May, and sedge into the evening. The upper reaches cross less permeable ground and respond faster to rain; the lower river is chalk and fines down quickly. There is no-kill fly water at Corneville-sur-Risle, Appeville-Annebault and Saint-Philibert, held by the Pont-Audemer association and included in its day and week permits.

  • Chalk
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Failing to achieve good
What this classification means

WFD re-coded 2026-06-18: prior id FRHR2105 returned no row in EEA WISE. Re-mapped to FRHR268 'La Risle du confluent de la Charentonne au confluent de la Corbie' — the middle trout reach. Status: EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP). Confidence: medium — VERIFY: the pack coordinate (49.50,0.72) sits low/near the maritime limit (FRHT07); if the venue is the lower river re-map accordingly. Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu.

WFD classification · FRHR268

The full read · show the working · for Grayling · confidence 75%
How the 79 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity61 × 12%7.3
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
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling 3rd Saturday of May → 31 December

    France national rule: grayling opens 3rd Saturday of May in all waters. In 2nd category waters, grayling remains open until 31 December. Departmental regulations may impose earlier closing dates. Always check the relevant département's 2026 arrêté préfectoral.

Related guides
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Risle is a chalk stream in Normandy / Seine-Maritime, France. The catchment geology is recorded as chalk, and the water sits at about 74 m above sea level. The river is described as roughly 87 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 31 December. Level and flow data for this water is linked from 1 gauge. Its Water Framework Directive ecological status is recorded as moderate. Access is recorded as day tickets through the local AAPPMA (angling association). Nearby waters in our listings include Pisciculture la Fontaine à Roger at 11 km, Charentonne at 13 km and Pisciculture de Bernay at 13 km.