- Summer Mountain
Fishing in lakes and rivers
RIVER FISHING
There are almost 4,000 kilometres of waterways in Savoie Mont Blanc, from small mountain streams to the Rhône river.
Each type lends itself to different fishing techniques: spin casting, natural bait fishing, fly fishing, lure fishing.
You can regularly find brown trout, rainbow trout, common grayling, barbel, chub, pike, and perch in these waters.
IN THE FOUR MAJOR LAKES
Category 1 public area. France’s largest natural lake is home to an array of species: perch, pike, zander, trout, arctic char, lavaret whitefish, roach, bream, carp, and monkfish.
Category 2 lake, motorboats forbidden. Here you can find lavaret whitefish, arctic char, perch, pike, carp, roach, and monkfish.
Category 1 lake offering fera, arctic char, trout, pike, perch, monkfish, carp, roach, bream, bleak and tench. You should avoid nature reserves and fishing reserves.
Category 1 public area, ideal for line fishing. Here you can catch arctic char, lake herring, trout, pike, perch, monkfish, roach, bleak, and crayfish.
FISHING IN MOUNTAIN LAKES
Savoie Mont Blanc is full of mountain lakes, category 1 lakes, formed naturally, from glaciers or reservoirs. Brown trout, rainbow trout, minnow and arctic char are widespread in Chablais, Les Bornes, Beaufortain, the Maurienne and Tarentaise mountains.
... AND IN LAKES IN THE PLAINS
These moderately sized, mainly category 2 lakes are easily accessible and offer an array of species: trout, roach, pike, carp, tench, gudgeon, bream and perch. They are located in Chablais, Genevois, Les Bauges, Combe de Savoie and Basse Maurienne.
All angling techniques can be used, depending on the lake.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ANGLING
Angling spots fall into two categories:
- The first applies to waterways which are abundant in predominantly salmonid species such as trout and arctic char.
- The second is attributed to waterways and lakes which contain predominately cyprinid species such as roach and carp, as well as the carnivores which live alongside them like pike and perch.
Anyone wishing to fish in open water must be a member of an authorised angling and aquatic environment protection organisation, and hold a fishing permit.
Please note that you need to hold a specific fishing permit for the départements of Savoie and Haute Savoie. A reciprocal arrangement has been agreed between the two angling federations to enable people to fish in both départements by means of a stamp.
Recreational angling is governed by regulations which serve to protect fish stocks.
Category 1 waterways are open from mid-March to mid-October. However, mountain lakes only open from the beginning of June.
Category 2 waterways and the major Alpine lakes are open all year round.
Some species like pike, perch, trout, arctic char, and lake herring are also granted specific opening periods.