Freestone · Granite · Aveyron / Lozère, FR

Lot (Upper)

Lot (Upper) — Mende: le pont Notre-Dame sur le Lot (XIIème siècle)

The upper Lot rises on the Aubrac plateau and works its way south-west through rolling granite country before the broader river takes over below Entraygues.

Poor · Brown Trout
CDC Emerger · 16-18
New ruleReported 1 Aug 2026

Severe drought restrictions (alerte renforcée) in force

The Le Célé zone (Dept 46) 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°37529

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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

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
  • Level0.62 mLast reading 8h ago
  • Water temp22.3°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
CDC Emerger
CDC Emerger16-18
Dead-drift
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.62 m
Last reading 8h ago
Water temp22.3°C
ClarityClear
Weather25°C
WindNW 13 km/h
Pressure1015 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead11.3 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Warm — slow
22°C est.ideal 1016°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Water at 22.3°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalModerate confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

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
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

More balanced than the mountain-river pack. French nymphing still matters, but there is more room for dries, spiders and general searching flies.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • AAPPMA permits.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Cooler water nearby · 1
Probably above the Brown Trout safety line — these are likely cooler, but carry a thermometer.
Gallery · 2
  1. Lot (Upper) — Mende: le pont Notre-Dame sur le Lot (XIIème siècle)
    Mende: le pont Notre-Dame sur le Lot (XIIème siècle)
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The upper Lot rises on the Aubrac plateau and works its way south-west through rolling granite country before the broader river takes over below Entraygues. The headwater and upper-middle sections are proper freestone trout water: wild brown trout and grayling in clear runs between riffles and pocket water, good olive and caddis hatches, and enough quiet to make the fishing feel like its own reward. The Aubrac gives it a particular character — cold water off the high ground, responsive flow after the frequent plateau storms, and a short snowmelt bump that shapes the early season. Standard upstream dry-fly work in the slower glides, tight-line nymphing in the faster runs. From about May onwards the fishing is consistent through to September, with the grayling extending the season into October in the deeper pools.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • EcologyGood
  • ChemicalUnknown

WFD classification · FRFR127

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 10 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature5 × 28%1.4
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time40 × 13%5.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity53 × 12%6.4
Limiting factor: Water temperature (22.3°C) is outside Brown Trout's preferred range (10–16°C)= 53
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
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March3rd Sunday of September
  • Grayling 3rd Saturday of May3rd 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
Booking & contacts