Stillwater · Limestone · Hautes-Pyrénées / Gavarnie-Gèdre

Lac des Especières

Lac des Especières terrain map
Terrain map

High-mountain no-kill lake near Gavarnie-Gèdre.

Fair · Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
46% confidence
limited data

Lac des Especières is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 8 km/hLight breeze
Today’s fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
S 8 km/h
N
S
from the south
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp14°C
CloudClear
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for trout
When
May–September
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. 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.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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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
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
78%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp100%

A good match for Lac des Especières — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 5
About this water

High-mountain no-kill lake near Gavarnie-Gèdre. Fly-only, barbless, catch-and-release required. Wild trout in pristine alpine conditions. Hike-in access into spectacular Pyrenean terrain. Low pressure and wild fish. Short season driven by snowmelt. Permits required — this is destination water.

  • Lake
  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyUnknown
  • ChemicalUnknown
What this classification means

WFD code removed 2026-06-18: this lake was incorrectly sharing the Gave d'Estaubé river's code FRFRR404_2. EEA WISE has no dedicated lake (LW) water body for Lac des Especières, so status is left Unknown. Source: discodata.eea.europa.eu.

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
  • Great Red Sedge is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Booking & contacts