Stillwater · Limestone · Hautes-Pyrénées / Gavarnie-Gèdre

Lac des Especières

Lac des Especières 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
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.
47% confidence
limited data

Lac des Especières is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindNW 6 km/hCalm
Today's fly
Small Perdigón
Small Perdigón16-20
Euro-nymph
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
NW 6 km/h
N
NW
from the north-west
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp32°C
CloudBroken
Pressure
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. Keep a sedge-style dry or emerger on a short leader for the evening rise.
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. Keep a sedge-style dry or emerger on a short leader for the evening rise.

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.

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
69%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp25%

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

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.
  • High temperatures may push fish deeper and reduce surface activity.
  • Daddy longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Booking & contacts