Stillwater · Granite · Vosges / Haut-Rhin (Rimbach-près-Masevaux), FR

Lac des Perches (Sternsee)

Lac des Perches (Sternsee), a forested mountain lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux, Haut-Rhin, France
Fair · Trout
Small Damsel · 8-12
New ruleReported 23 Jul 2026

Severe drought restrictions (crise) in force

A préfectoral drought order places this catchment's surface water at crise, the highest of France's four restriction tiers. Fishing itself is not named in the order, but flows are low and water-use restrictions are in force. Zone: bassins de la Doller amont, de la Fecht, de la Weiss et de la Lauch (dépt 68).

Arrêté préfectoral n°37430 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
47% confidence
limited data

Lac des Perches (Sternsee) is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 32 km/hFresh breeze
Today's fly
SD
Small Damsel8-12
Retrieve
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Fresh breeze
SW 32 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp19.3°C
Air temp19°C
CloudBroken
Pressure—
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May–September
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Claret DunHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
SD
Small Damsel
8-12 · Pattern
Retrieve
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Vosges AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
51%
Cloud70%
Wind30%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though wind isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Lacs du Neuweiher
2.0 km
Brown trout · Char
Lac d'Alfeld
5.0 km
Brown trout · Char
Domaine de Champs sur l'Eau
38 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Char
Moselotte
41 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Doller
50 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Lac des Perches (Sternsee), a forested mountain lake near Rimbach-près-Masevaux, Haut-Rhin, France
    Lac des Perches, Vosges
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Unknown
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD code removed 2026-06-18: this alpine lake was incorrectly sharing the Doller river's code FRCR53 (and showing the river's status). EEA WISE has no dedicated lake (LW) water body for Lac des Perches, so status is left Unknown. Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu. | Prior note: WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRCR53 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Daddy longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Char varies_by_lake → varies_by_lake

    French lake char (omble chevalier / omble de fontaine) — seasons and retention rules are set by departmental regulations and local fishing associations (AAPPMA). French char lakes are often managed with strict rules. Check the local AAPPMA or departmental fishing regulations before targeting char.

Related guides
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Booking & contacts