Freestone · Granite · Normandy / Calvados (lower Normandy freestone)

Noireau

Noireau terrain map

Normandy stream with mixed geology — chalk influence in lower reaches, granite further up.

Poor · Brown Trout
Spent Spinner · 16-20
Temporary closureReported 1 Aug 2026

Official fishing restriction in force (arrêté sécheresse, alerte renforcée)

The Secteur Bessin - ESU zone (Dept 14) is at alerte renforcée under a préfectoral drought arrêté, which prohibits fishing on first-category (salmonid) watercourses. Check the arrêté and with the local AAPPMA before travelling.

Arrêté préfectoral n°37566 ↗

Temporary notices from official orders and recent fishery reports — they clear automatically once out of date.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
  • Level0.08 mLast reading 13h ago
  • Water temp23.0°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Spent Spinner
Spent Spinner16-20
Upstream dry
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
0.08 m
Last reading 13h ago
Water temp23.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather30°C
WindN 15 km/h
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.4 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
23°C est.ideal 10–16°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 23°C. This is the line where catch-and-release kills brown trout. Do not fish for them today.
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 6am

Hatch predictions

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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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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
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

Classic French chalkstream fishing. Gin-clear, weed-rich, slow to moderate flow. Dry fly and sight nymphing dominate. Stronger sedge hatches than English equivalents. French tradition favours flush-sitting dries (comparaduns, CDC patterns) and upstream presentation.

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.
Pisciculture Les Sources d'Elle
31 km
~22°C
Rainbow trout
About this water

Normandy stream with mixed geology — chalk influence in lower reaches, granite further up. Wild brown trout. Pastoral water, intimate in places, more open in others. Fly-fishing on accessible beats. Spring (April–May) offers good dry-fly potential when insect activity aligns. Some sections may have restrictions; check AAPPMA before visiting.

Hatches & food

On Atlantic trout rivers in Normandy and Brittany, regional studies and on-the-bank experience point to spring mayflies as the main early driver, a strong band of spring and early-summer caddis as channels warm and open, background buzzer life ticking away right through the year, and terrestrials from wooded banks adding important surface food in summer and early autumn, with autumn olives extending sport wherever trout-season rules allow.

  • Granite
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Good
  • Chemical: Unknown

WFD classification · FRHR302

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 4 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature2 × 28%0.6
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time60 × 13%7.8
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity60 × 12%7.2
Limiting factor: Water temperature (23°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
  • Trout 2nd Saturday of March → 3rd Sunday of September
Related guides
Pyrenees PlaybookFrench riversEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts