Fishing
Two Verdons for two kinds of fishing: the brown trout of the fast-flowing waters upstream, in the first-category gorges, and the predator fish of Lake Sainte-Croix — pike, zander, perch, black-bass and large catfish. From fly to float-tube, here’s where, when and how to fish, licences and regulations included.
The Verdon can be fished in two ways that have almost nothing in common. Upstream, the young, cold river tumbles down from its source; this is the domain of the wild brown trout, fished with a fly, in first-category water. Downstream, the river settles into large turquoise lakes of second category where pike, zander and catfish are hunted. The common thread running through this diversity: Lake Sainte-Croix, a superb predator-fishing lake.
Upstream, the Verdon tumbles down from its source at the foot of the Col d’Allos, all the way to Castellane and the Grand Canyon: fast-flowing, cold water classed as first category. This is the domain of the wild brown trout, fished with a fly or by “toc” (a bottom-bait technique fished by touch, without a float), amid gorges and turquoise pools. The Colostre and the torrents of the Haut-Verdon round out this wild, sporting fishing ground.
Downstream, the river widens into a 2,200-hectare turquoise lake — the largest in the Verdon. Here anglers hunt predator fish: pike, zander, perch, black-bass and large catfish, from the bank, by float-tube or from an electric boat.
The Verdon strings together five reservoir lakes. Castillon, upstream, mixes trout and predator fish in the Haut-Verdon. Esparron (328 ha) is renowned for its big pike and abundant perch, in the calm of the Basses Gorges. Quinson, more low-key, and the high-altitude lakes around Allos offer mountain fishing far from the crowds.
From torrent trout to lake giants, the Verdon basin is home to remarkable fish life. Predator fish make the reputation of Lake Sainte-Croix; trout, that of the river and the Grand Canyon.
The queen of fast-flowing water: wild trout from the upper Verdon, the Colostre and the torrents of the Haut-Verdon. Fished with fly, “toc” or lure, from mid-March to early October in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (2026 season: 14 March to 4 October inclusive, so it is now over). Legal catch size: 23 cm in rivers.
The big predator fish of Lake Sainte-Croix and Lake Esparron. Pike (60 cm minimum size) are hunted with lures and live bait; zander, more discreet, favour deep water and dusk. Fishing open year-round on Lake Sainte-Croix, outside spring reserve zones. On Lake Esparron, pike and zander are open from 1 January to the last Sunday of January inclusive, then from the last Saturday of April to 31 December.
The ultimate fighting fish, common in the coves of Sainte-Croix. Fished under strict no-kill rules: every catch is returned to the water. Temporary reserves protect its spawning grounds from the 2nd Saturday of March to the 2nd Friday of June.
The lake’s biggest fish, elusive but well established at Sainte-Croix. Large specimens are caught on big lures or with a static bait, by float-tube or boat. A powerful fight guaranteed — release with care.
Each type of water calls for its own technique. Fly and “toc” on the river; lure fishing, float-tube and trolling on the lakes. On Sainte-Croix, combustion engines are banned: boats move by paddle, sail or electric motor.
The signature technique of the upper Verdon: light casts, a delicate drift and wary brown trout, amid the gorges and on the Colostre. Fly-fishing guides take beginners and experienced anglers out from Castellane.
With soft lures, spoons and swimbaits, anglers work pike, zander, perch and black-bass along the drop-offs and weed beds of Sainte-Croix and Esparron.
The signature technique of the big lakes: seated in an inflatable float-tube, you can reach spots unreachable from the bank. The car park at the Base de l’Étoile, by the Pont du Galetas, is a good starting point.
From a boat with an electric motor — combustion engines are banned on Sainte-Croix — anglers troll their lures to cover large areas. Open on the lake from the second weekend of March to the first Sunday of October (the same window as the salmonid season).
Dates and quotas change every year and differ between the 04 and 83 départements: always confirm with the federation’s annual notice before fishing.
A fishing licence is mandatory everywhere. It can be bought online at cartedepeche.fr or from authorised retailers (tourist offices, fishing tackle shops). Since Lake Sainte-Croix is shared between two départements, these three resources will point you to the right one depending on the shore.
The 04 federation manages the upper Verdon, the Colostre and the north shore of Sainte-Croix. It publishes the official notice every year (dates, quotas, reserves) and takes part in the reciprocal-access scheme of the Club Halieutique Interdépartemental: its inter-federation licence allows fishing in the other reciprocal départements.
The Var federation manages the south shore of Lake Sainte-Croix (Bauduen, Les Salles, Aiguines). As the lake straddles two départements, check that your licence covers the shore where you’re fishing.
Local associations (Verdon Colostre, La Truite Moustierenne in the 04, La Truite Varoise du Verdon in the 83) manage fish stocks. They can advise on fishing routes, reserves and licence sales points.
To progress fast — reading the water, choosing the right fly or lure, finding predator-fish spots — nothing beats a trip out with a Verdon fishing guide. Some provide all the gear and cater to beginners and experienced anglers alike.
Professionals of the river and the lake. We don’t publish their contact details until each one has been verified individually: book via their own website, or find them, as they get validated, in our directory of operators.
A fly-fishing guide right in the heart of the gorges: introduction and improvement courses on the Verdon and its tributaries, gear provided, guided outings by the day or half-day.
Guides specialising in predator fish take anglers after pike, zander and black-bass by electric boat and float-tube on Sainte-Croix. Book via their website or the directory of operators.
In the river, inside the gorges and downstream of the dams, the Verdon’s water level can rise suddenly during EDF water releases. Never set up on a dry riverbed without knowing the release schedule, keep an eye on the current, and head for the bank at the slightest doubt. The same rules that apply to whitewater sports apply here too — see also our Safety page.
Spring and early autumn are the finest seasons: the trout season opens in March, predator fish are active in the cool of the day, and the lakes are quieter than at the height of summer. Combine a fishing trip with a swim at Lake Sainte-Croix, a stop in Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon, Bauduen or Castellane, and plan your dates with When to visit.
Yes, a fishing licence is mandatory everywhere, in rivers as well as lakes. In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), the federation lists €17 for a day licence, €87 for the annual “adult” licence and €114 for the inter-federation licence, valid on reciprocal-access waters in many départements (prices read on peche04.fr on 9 October 2026). It can be bought online at cartedepeche.fr or from the authorised retailers in the département. Since Lake Sainte-Croix straddles the Var (83) and the 04, check that your licence covers the shore where you’re fishing.
Lake Sainte-Croix (2,200 ha) is the great predator-fishing spot: pike, zander, perch, black-bass and large catfish are caught from the bank, by float-tube or from an electric boat. Lake Esparron, in the Basses Gorges, is renowned for its big pike and perch. On Lake Sainte-Croix, pike and zander fishing is open year-round, outside spring reserve zones. On Lake Esparron, it is open from 1 January to the last Sunday of January inclusive, then from the last Saturday of April to 31 December.
In first-category rivers, salmonid fishing (brown trout above all) opens on the second Saturday of March. In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the prefecture’s 2026 annual notice set it from 14 March to 4 October 2026 inclusive: as of 9 October 2026 it is therefore closed, and the 2027 dates will be given in the next annual notice. In mountain lakes above 1,800 m the season starts later (20 June to 25 October 2026; until 4 October for Lac d’Allos). On the Var side, the dates are those of the Var federation: always check the annual notice of the département where you fish.
Yes, black-bass are well established in the coves of Sainte-Croix, but they must be fished under strict no-kill rules: every catch has to be released. Temporary reserve zones also protect predator-fish spawning grounds, generally from the second Saturday of March to the second Friday of June. These zones are clearly marked: respect them to protect the resource.
Yes, as long as you do not use a combustion engine, which is banned on Lake Sainte-Croix: you fish from a boat with an electric motor or from a craft without a motor. Many anglers prefer the float-tube, ideal for reaching spots unreachable from the bank; the car park at the Base Nautique de l’Étoile, by the Pont du Galetas, is a good starting point. Trolling is allowed from the second weekend of March to the first Sunday of October, the same window as the salmonid season.
The external sources this page relies on, one click away. We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
The departmental federation that publishes the annual fishing notice for the 04: opening dates, salmonid quotas, reserves and special routes. ⚠️ Site served over plain HTTP, with no valid HTTPS certificate — the link therefore points to http://.
The 04 federation’s page on the Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon sector (the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence shore of the lake). ⚠️ Site served over plain HTTP.
“2200 hectares (Var and Alpes de Haute Provence)” — the lake is shared between two départements; pike, zander and perch present; “No-kill black-bass fishing”; the AAPPMA managing the Var side: La Truite Varoise du Verdon.
Regional body of the departmental fishing federations, under whose remit the region’s labelled routes fall.
Official platform of the Fédération nationale de la pêche en France: licence categories, current-year prices and reciprocity between départements.
The tourist office’s official page devoted to fishing on Lake Sainte-Croix (sector, access and practical conditions).
Quotations from French-language sources are translated by us; the original wording is on the page behind each link.
All 6 links responded during our last automated check, on 11 October 2026. A broken link is removed, never left in place.
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