Freestone · Limestone · Jura-edge / Ain (Varambon–Rhône), FR

Ain (lower / Plaine de l'Ain)

A wide, calm stretch of the River Ain with a gravel bank in the foreground and autumn trees lining the far bank, in the Ain department, France.
Poor · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-18
Closed season
Out of season. Try elsewhere.
Closed — confidence not applicable today.
What moved it
  • Level0.34 mLast reading 31 min ago
  • Water temp11.2°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-18
Upstream
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.34 m
Last reading 31 min ago
Water temp11.2°C
ClarityClear
Weather9°C
WindSE 7 km/h
Pressure1025 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
11°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°

We have not characterised this dam's release, so this is a general cold-release figure and could be several degrees out in either direction. Treat it as a hint, not a reading, and check locally before you fish.

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.
Likely species
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 11 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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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 · October 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
Evening SedgeHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Large Dark OliveHatch
1
2
2
1
Iron BlueHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Blue Winged OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
SS
Small Streamer
6-10 · Pattern
Swing
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Carte de pêche AAPPMA.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 2
  1. A wide, calm stretch of the River Ain with a gravel bank in the foreground and autumn trees lining the far bank, in the Ain department, France.
    The River Ain near Villieu-Loyes-Mollon, on the lower Ain plain
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRDR484

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 0 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time70 × 13%9.1
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity56 × 12%6.7
Conditions total= 84
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2e Saturday de March → 3e Sunday de September
  • Grayling 3e Saturday de May → 3e Sunday de 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.

  • Coarse 2e Saturday de March → 3e Sunday de September

    Chub has no national closed season of its own in France — on a 1st-category (salmonid) reach like this, ALL fishing (any species, any method) is prohibited outside the water's own open season (Code de l'environnement Art. R436-6), so chub simply inherits the trout/grayling season rather than following a separate coarse-fish law.

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