Carp fishing in France:
As huge as France is, there are so many different water species here. The largest country in Europe has many different water species. From the small, man-made private pond to the huge, deep reservoir, the modern carp angler will find everything his heart desires here. Of course, many Carphunters among you already know this and some famous lakes have been overrun in recent years. So came some regulations changes and restrictions, with which one has to live today partly. The lakes are widely distributed throughout the country. We can hardly single out a federal state/department here.
“Catch and release” is a matter of course in France and professional fishing is not very widespread – because of these two factors, the large carp are also on the move in the public lakes. Similarly, one can possibly expect large catfish populations and cancer occurrences.
The density of Paylakes (Private Waters) in France is unbelievable. It can be said that fishing has been redefined in this area in France. Partly influenced by the English, you can meet here on great occupied Bigfish lakes and experience a great time. But beware, here, too, not everything that shines is gold. It’s worth a close look – we explicitly do not recommend waters with less than 1 ha per angler. Here, too, all information at the provider counts, or, if available, use our “Premium” or “Gold” providers.
Fishing regulations in France:
In France you will find every version, every rule, every ban. Therefore, please always read very carefully, because the regulations are often very, very strictly controlled and punished. Since the Paylakes are managed very professionally in France, you can develop freely here and experience a wonderful holiday. Important, the waters size that is available to each angler and the number of places. Better pay a bit more and also get more freedom.
In the case of public waters it looks very different – on many lakes 3 rods are allowed, if you fish “catch and release”. Please refer to the respective department or its homepage for information. Beware, France has been inundated with carp anglers in recent decades and the locals as well as the authorities have become very sensitive. Please always comply with the regulations, protect the environment during your stay on the water! Go to work discreetly and restrainedly! Please note local customs, such as fire bans in summer or the famous spade for their toilet. A clean, discreet camp and a friendly, open appearance towards the locals and the Guard de Peche bring only the true relaxation in their holiday.
Tip for the license procurement in public waters:
At many public lakes you can get the card Online (Aappma – Associations de péche en France). Here you can find a cheap annual ticket, for the whole of France! With less than 100 euros for the annual pass or a weekly ticket for less than 40 euros, you have a huge number of waters to choose from, which are probably enough for several fishing lives. Children and women can also fish very cheaply.
The structure of the French associations and their homepage structure is strange, so please take a close look. There is a page where you get the annual map for AAPPMA waters in France: https://www.cartedepeche.fr. If you are looking for regulations, then you have to work your way through 94 different homepages, because in so many departments France is subdivided anglerically. You can find them here: https://www.federationpeche.fr. The federation de peche site is virtually the starting platform from which all 94 pages of the departments are further subdivided. Your best friend will be Google’s translation tool!
Especially when it comes to night fishing, please take a close look. Some regions have complete night fishing bans, other night fishing zones and others the night fishing is common.
Tip for the license procurement in private waters:
Here they usually do not need state licenses, they can simply book on paylakes directly or through third-party providers. Our tip, look for a body of water that suits their fishing skills. The difficulty of a French paylake is often very different. From the very busy, easy to fish lake to the hard core underwater jungle, everything can be found.
