Stillwater · Mixed · Ariège / Pyrenees (Massat-Vicdessos)

Étang de Lers

Mountain lake at ~1300 m in central Ariège Pyrenees.

Fair · Trout
Small Perdigón · 16-20
New ruleReported 3 Aug 2026

Severe drought restrictions (alerte renforcée) in force

The Zone d''alerte n°6_Le Salat zone (Dept 09) is at alerte renforcée — the second-highest French drought tier — under a préfectoral arrêté. Fishing itself is not named as prohibited, but water is severely restricted and flows are likely very low; fish with care and check locally.

Arrêté préfectoral n°37504 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Étang de Lers
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
54% confidence
What moved it
  • WindN 10 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
N 10 km/h
N
N
from the north
WaveRipple
Water temp—
Air temp28°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 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. Move along the bank and try a different angle or depth before changing fly.

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

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 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
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

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
Condition match
88%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp60%

Conditions are ideal for Étang de Lers — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Ariège (Luzenac reach)
16 km
Brown trout
Ariège
18 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Pisciculture des Chutes de l'Aston
25 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Noguera de Cardós
34 km
Brown trout
Pisciculture de Montferrier
38 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Char
About this water

Mountain lake at ~1300 m in central Ariège Pyrenees. Trout fishing from June onward when snowmelt access improves. Alpine lake character with cold, clear water. Hike-in access rewards solitude and pristine conditions. Short season driven by mountain weather. Permits required; check Ariège regulations.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRFRR173_1

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (mixed) suits the fishery well.
  • 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
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperaturePyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts