©Fishing for grayling in Limousin|©FDAAPPMA 87

Where can you fish for grayling?Our 3 favourite spots in Limousin

Top 3 places to fish for grayling Ajouter aux favoris

Why not try your hand at grayling fishing on your next fishing trip to Limousin? 🎣

This discreet fish, a companion of the fario trout, moves between rapids, flats and well-oxygenated riffles. With a fishing season that extends into winter, it will delight both fly fishermen and the curious in search of new sensations. And it’s even an endemic strain that spawns in the clear rivers of the Haute-Vienne! 💦

Here we share with you our 3 best spots for fishing for grayling in Limousin for a moment in the great outdoors on the trail of this not-so-common salmonid. 🐟

Quick overview

©Where to fish for trout and grayling in Limousin - Rivière la Combade in Haute-Vienne|©FDAAPPMA 87

1. The Vienne (1st and 2nd category)

On the trail of an endemic species: the Vienne grayling

The Vienne river rises on the Plateau de Millevaches, one of the most beautiful spots in the Limousin. And in this river, one species has survived for centuries: the common grayling. 💙

This spindle-shaped salmonid with its large scales and violet highlights may not be the stuff of dreams, being smaller than other fish, but it is appreciated by connoisseurs! 🐟

And what’s more, the common grayling is a native species to the Vienne! Why not come and meet it? It’s with an artificial fly (small size) and on the surface that the adventure takes place. 🎣

2. La Combade (1st category)

A wild jewel for grayling fishing

Away from the most popular fishing areas, the river Combade, a tributary of the Vienne, offers a 100% natural setting for grayling fishing in Limousin. Wild and unspoilt, it’s teeming with life, with just a handful of bridges as access points. 💦

The presence of the common grayling, a bio-indicator of water quality, reveals the purity of the aquatic environments here, particularly at the confluence with the Vienne, classified as a Natural Area of Ecological, Faunistic and Floristic Interest (ZNIEFF). 🍃
You’ll love spending time along the water, becoming one with nature, watching the birds, mayflies and a spindly shadow that gobbles up your bait if you’re lucky! ☺️

Rules for preserving grayling 🙏

Respect the opening dates for grayling fishing: from 17 May to 21 September 2025 in 1st category and until 31 December in 2nd category.
Release all specimens smaller than 30 cm
Only take 2 common grayling per day

Grayling fishing on the Combade

©The Vienne at Saint-Léonard de Noblat one of the best spots for grayling fishing in Limousin.|©FDAAPPMA 87

©Le Taurion - Fishing in rivers and reservoirs of the Limousin - brown trout grayling and night carp|©PAH Monts et Barrages - Estelle Gilles

3. The Taurion (2nd category)

Meet the common grayling in a wild valley

Another tributary of the Vienne, the Taurion winds through the heart of an unspoilt valley, also classified as a ZNIEFF: a paradise for fishing and nature lovers in the Haute-Vienne. 💚

Its emblematic bridges are well worth a visit: the picturesque stone bridge at Senoueix, on the Creuse side, in the heart of the Millevaches regional nature park, and the majestic yellow bridge at Dognon, the setting for the famous series “Un village français”. 🌉

It’s downstream of the Chauvan and Saint Marc dams that you’re most likely to come across this not-so-common fish with its imposing dorsal fin. 🐟

Reputedly difficult to catch, it requires a delicate approach. Gentleness and precision will be your best trump cards when stalking this “standard bearer” of the Limousin! 🎣

A bit of teasing? Watch “Il était une fois l’ombre de la Vienne”! A real ode to nature and grayling fishing, this RISE Festival award-winning film is sure to make you want to come and explore the rivers of Limousin with your fishing rod 😉