Freestone · Granite · Massif Central / Cantal (Artense)

Sumène

Sumène terrain map

The Sumène tumbles through the Cévennes where the light on granite seems sharper than anywhere in France.

Poor · Brown Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
New ruleReported 24 Jul 2026

Drought crisis restrictions (crise) in force

The Herault surface-water zone (dept 30) is at crisis-level (crise) under préfectoral arrêté n°37466, in force to 2026-10-31. Fishing itself is not named in the order, but the tier signals severely depleted flows.

Arrêté préfectoral n°37466 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Poorlive now
Not the day for it
River temperature is the limiting factor today, not the flow. This is not the day to push it. Check the thermal advice above before you head out.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather29°C
WindSE 10 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.2 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
23°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 22.8°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6pm

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

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

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 permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 23°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
About this water

The Sumène tumbles through the Cévennes where the light on granite seems sharper than anywhere in France. Freestone water with wild trout responding to strong seasonal hatches — Baetis spring, caddis and stoneflies summer. Cold, clear flow year-round. Technical mountain fishing in places, more accessible lower down. Check Lozère regulations for restrictions.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRFR109

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 4 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature2 × 28%0.6
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity53 × 12%6.4
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.8°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 50
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
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
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Pyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts