Freestone · Granite · Vosges / Vosges (88) (Plaine valley)

Plaine

Plaine terrain map
Terrain map

The Plaine flows through Vosges foothills where strict regulation protects wild trout and grayling.

Poor · Brown Trout
CDC Emerger · 16-18
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
  • LevelLight rain recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp22.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today’s fly
CDC Emerger
CDC Emerger16-18
Dead-drift
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Light rain recently
No gauge reading
Water temp22.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather22°C
WindS 1 km/h
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent2.5 mm
Rain · ahead4.9 mm

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

Water temperature for brown trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Through the open trout season. Spring olives April through May; sedges through summer evenings.
Where
Pool tails and pocket water through the Vosges valley. Small intimate freestone water.
Method
Upstream dry to risers; dry-dropper through the riffles. The water reads clear — long leader, fine tippet. Move slowly, cast accurately.
Kit
9 ft #4 — French freestone default. Floating line, 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots.
Why this works
⛔ Water at 22°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

Start free trial

14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

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
Grayling seasonSeason
1
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
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Carte de pêche AAPPMA.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Water here around 22°C. Nothing cooler within range — carry a thermometer.
About this water

The Plaine flows through Vosges foothills where strict regulation protects wild trout and grayling. Fly-only beats with no-kill and barbless-hook requirements on designated sections. Granitic freestone with responsive Baetis and caddis. Local-strain wild trout are the prize and responsibility. Spring through early autumn. Verify Vosges AAPPMA rules before visiting.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

WFD ecological status Moderate → Good corrected to EEA WISE 2022 (3rd RBMP) classification for waterbody FRCR295 (was a stale earlier-cycle value). Source: EEA WISE SWB_SurfaceWaterBody (discodata.eea.europa.eu), verified 2026-06-18.

WFD classification · FRCR295

The full read · show the working · for brown trout · confidence 90%
How the 12 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature6 × 28%1.7
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity59 × 12%7.1
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 56
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
  • Trout2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling3rd Saturday of May → 3rd Sunday of 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.

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsPyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts