Rivers's classification

The streams, streches of water and channels of 1st piscicultural category shelter piscicultural running water species where salmo species (as trout) dominate as those where it appears desirable to ensure a special protection of fish of this species.

The streams, streches of water and channels of 2nd piscicultural category include mainly cyprinus species (like white fish), and the carnivores (like pikes, sandres, poles). In the Alpes-Maritimes, water is classified mainly in 1st piscicultural category.

Streams and stretches of 1st category on all their watercourse
L'Artuby, Lane and lakes of its higher basin, Roya and lakes of its higher basin, Cians, Tinée and lakes of its higher basin, l'Estéron, Vésubie and lakes of its higher basin, Bévéra as well as the affluents and under affluents of streams or portions of streams indicated above except Briançon.

Streams and stretches of 1st piscicultural category having limits
The Loup : upstream from the Lauron dam (Commune of Tourrettes on Loup and Roquefort Les Pins), Siagne : upstream Bridge of Tanneron (RD 509 - d.Auribeau Commune on Siagne), the Var : upstream Bridge of Manda (Communes of Colomars, Carros and Gattières), Cagne : upstream of factory unused of Gaude (Communes of Gaude and Vence).

Streams and stretches of 2nd piscicultural category
All Streams, stretches and channels not classified in 1st category.

Opening periods

In 1st piscicultural category
General opening : from March 13th to September 19th 2004.
Shade commun run : from May 15th to September 19th 2004.
In all the mountain lakes located at an altitude higher than 1 800 m, fishing is authorized from July 3 td to September 15th 2004.

In 2nd piscicultural category
General opening : all year round.
Pike : From january 1st to January 25th and from April 17th to December 31th 2004 included
Grayling : from May 15th to December 31th 2004 included
Fario trout : from March 13th to September 19th 2004
Brook trout : idem
Artic Charr : idem
Lake Grey Trout : idem
Rainbow trout : from March 13th to September 19th 2004 in the following rivers : The Var downstream of the Bridge of Manda ; Brague downstream of the junction of the brook of Bouillides ; Siagne downstream of the Bridge of Auribeau-Tanneron.

· The fishing of baby eel is prohibited.
· The fishing of crayfish with red legs, legs hails, white legs and from mountain streams is authorized from July 24th to August 2th 2004.
· The fishing of green frog and russet-red frog is authorized from January 1st to February 29th and from June 5th to December 31th 2004.

Fishing is not allowed more than one half hour before sunrise, nor more than one half hour after sundown. Consult the solar tables.

Authorized Processes and modes of fishing

The members of the Associations Approved for the Fishing and the Protection of the Aquatic Environment (A.A.P.P.M.A.) can fish with the means :

• Of 4 lines at most in water of 2nd category ;
• Of 2 lines at most in domanial water of 1st category (the Var from the Bridge of Manda to the junction of Vésubie) ;
• Of 1 line in nondomanial waters of 1st category ;
• Vermée and of 6 balances at the most intended for the capture of crayfish and shrimps ;
• From 1 carafe or bottle, intended for the capture, only in waters of 2nd category, minnows and other fish used as bait, the capacity of which cannot exceed 2 liters ;

The lines must be on the rods and fitted with 2 hooks or 3 artificial flies at the most. Rods must be laid out near the fisherman.

The crayfish balances can be indifferently round, square or losangic. Their diameter or their diagonal should not exceed 30 cm.

Prohibited processes and modes of fishing

It's prohibited in the streams or their derivations to set devices, to execute operations or to beat the surface of the water in order to gather fish to facilitate the catching.

It's prohibited, for the capture of fish :

- To fish with the hand or under the ice, or by disturbing the water, or by excavating under the roots and other shelters attended by fish. However, for the angling of the pin, the ramming carried out by the fisherman himself is authorized ;
- To use machines or any other devices intended to catch fish by any other way than by the mouth. On the other hand, it is allowed to use a landing net and blunder to withdraw from the water the fish already shoed ;
- To use firearms, faggots (except for the fishing of crayfish belonging to different species than those mentioned above),laces or snares, scuba diving equipment ;
- To have a sonar device onboard a boat along with fishing equipment ;
- To use hooks with more than 2 branches, the points of which are distant by more than 20mm ;

During off season for pike, fishing with sharp, dead or artificial fish, spoon and other lures, except artificial flies, is prohibited in 2nd category waters.

It's prohibited to use the likes of soft food or as follows :
Natural fish eggs, fresh or preserved or mixed with an artificial bait composition, in all the streams and stretches ;
Maggots and other dipterous larvae , in 1st category waters ;

It's prohibited to bait the hooks and machines with fish of the species whose minimum size was fixed by the Articles of the Rural Code R 236-23 and R 236-24, of the species protected by the provisions of the Articles L 411-2 and L 412-1 and the species mentionned with the 1° and 2° of Article L 432-10.

Minimal size of fish and the crayfish

The fish and the crayfish of the species specified hereafter, cannot be fished and must be given to water immediately after their capture if their length is lower than:

Pike in 2nd category : 50 cm
Lake grey trout : 35 cm
Shade commun run, Coregone : 30 cm
Fluviatile lamprey : 20 cm
Artci charr : 23 cm
Trouts (others that the sea trout), brook trout : 20 cm
Mulet : 20 cm
Bass in 2nd category : 23 cm
Crayfish with red legs, legs hails, white legs and of the torrents : 9 cm

The length of fish is measured from the end of the muzzle to the end of the deployed tail; that of crayfish from the point to the head, grips and antennas not included, to the end of the deployed tail.

A number of authorized captures (salmo species other than sea trout) : 10 per fisherman and day ; 6 is highly advised to protect our piscicultural inheritance.

In order to protect the spawning grounds, it's prohibited to fish while standing in the water in 1st category waters until March 31th included.

Caution : some A.A.P.P.M.A. registered in their rules of procedure a minimum size of trouts higher than 20 cm : 23 cm on Malvan and Cagne (A.A.P.P.M.A. of Vence), on Estéron (A.A.P.P.M.A. of Roquestéron) and on all the territory of the A.A.P.P.M.A. of Nice, on Siagne in 1st category waters, downstream of the dam Auribeau on Siagne (A.A.P.P.M.A. of Cannes). Maximum catchings : 6.

Prohibition of sale

It's forbidden for amateurs fishermen (with lines and machines) to sell their catch (Article L 436-13 and 14 of the code of the environment).
Any person who buys or sells the catch of an amateur will be prosecuted as envisaged by the code of the environnement.

Permanent fishing prohibitions

Any fishing is prohibited :

- In the devices ensuring the circulation of fish and in the works built in the bed of the watercourses ;
- In the sluices, winnowings and where water goes though buildings ;
- From the locks and stoppings established in waters where the fishing rights belong to the State (the Var starting from the limit of salinity of water to the junction of Vésubie), angling is not permitted within 50 m downstream of such equipment ;
- In rivers classified like run water to sea trout (the Var to downstream of the junction of Estéron, Brague downstream of the junction of the brook of Bouillides, Siagne downstream of the bridge of Auribeau-Tanneron) ;
- Any fishing is prohibited 50 m upstream and downstream from extremity of locks and stoppings.

Temporary fishnig reserves

Some temporary reserves are instituted by prefectoral decree prohibiting fishing on rivercourse stretches.

Var : Any fishing is prohibited starting from the small islands located in the bed of the Var : downstream of the Bridge Charles-Albert, for protection of the ornithological reserve; 50 m upstream and downstream of the thresholds so as not to hinder the crossing of these works by fish.

Roya : Bridge of E.D.F. power point with the Bridge of Tourrettes, commune of Fontan (prefectoral order).

RECALL: Transportation with living fish, shellfish or frogs belonging to species likely to cause biological imbalances (in particular sunfish, American crayfish and catfish) is strictly forbidden in all the hydrographic network of Alpes-Maritimes. In addition, without the authorization of the National Park of Mercantour's director, it's prohibited to introduce fish whatever their stage of development into the national park.

Fishing prohibitions

The A.A.P.P.M.A. can institute fishing prohibitions (called "réserves" in french). These fishing prohibitions, are announced in theory by a panel. It's however advisable to get information locally, without trusting only the presence or the absence of indication.

Breil sur Roya "La Patraque de la Roya "

Commune of Breil sur Roya
La Roya : 50 m downstream from the Breil sur Roya dam.
La Roya : 50 m downstream from the Low hydrant of Piène.
Small valley of Caïne : mouth with Roya and 100 m upstream.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Belvédère "La Gordolasque "

Commune of Belvédère : Lake of Saint Grat.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Fontan "La Truite de Fontan "

Commune of Fontan
From the bridge of E.D.F. power point to the Tourettes Bridge (stopped order).

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Guillaumes "Le Haut Var "

Commune of Guillaumes
Tireboeuf's valley : from the spring to the junction with the Var.
Commune of Villeneuve d'Entraunes
Riou : spring with the wood runway "Sous les Boudons" in Enaux and from the first waterfall (round panel to 2 500 m of the Var) to the junction with the Var.
Commune of Sauze
The Clamourettes brook (opposite to Enaux) : from the spring to the junction of Enaux Riou.
Commune of Saint Martin d'Entraunes
The Mounard ravine : From the Sussis's Bridge (close to Mounard) to the springs ;
Small valley of Blérarde of the junction with the Var with 500 m up from the Departemental Road 2202 ;
The Var : Saint Sebastien Bridge (at the exit of the village) to 150 m upstream of the hydrant up to Garetton brook (3 000 m approximately) ;
The Var : in Estenc, Poincarré Bridge (close to the relay of Cayolle) to the Biou springs (wooden bridge) including the lake of enlargement.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de la Brigue "La Levenza "

Commune of la Brigue
La Levenza : From the hydrant Claudo to the bridge of Bouseille (500 m).

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Lantosque "La Fario "

Fishing prohibited on the 3rd friday of july on all the territory of the A.A.P.P.M.A.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Nice "La Truite Argentée "

Commune of la Courbaisse
Tinée : regulated course of "No Kill".

A.A.P.P.M.A. of Puget-Théniers "Amicale des Pêcheurs du Cians "

Commune of Beuil
Cians : from the Jump of the Mill to the spring (600 m).
Challandre : from the waterfall to the spring (800 m).

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Roquebillière "La Vésubienne "

Commune of la Bollène Vésubie
The Small Valley of Planchette - Blavé - Oli : from the entrance of the National park of Mercantour to the springs (1 500 m).
Commune of Roquebillière
The Small valley of Cervagne : confluence of the Vésubie to 700 m upstream ;
Gordolasque : from the confluence of Vésubie to the Bridge of Véséou the lower upstream (1 100 m).

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Roquestéron " La Truite Saumonée "

Commune of Sigale
Estéron : course ranging between the two bridges of Sigale.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Saint Etienne de Tinée " La Haute Tinée "

Commune of Isola
Small valley of Chastillon : filtering station with the Isola 2000 catch water (3 500 m);
The Trust Brook.
The Belloire Brook.
The Brook of the Red Bridge.
The Brook of the Isola stopping.
Commune of Saint Etienne de Tinée "La Haute Tinée"
Pre Bridge from the Loup to the Bridge of Bourguet ;
Clapière sector : access prohibited (municipal order).

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Saorge "La Truite Roya'Le de Saorge "

Commune de Saorge
From the of Ambo of Saorge to the Bridge of the Laces;
Caïros : from the Bridge of Mérim to the spring - affluents and Mérim included ;
Caïros : from the link of Cabanere to the Devil's Bridge.

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Sospel-Moulinet "La Patraque de la Bévéra "

Commune of Moulinet
The small valley of Miraudon : entirely ;
Bévera : from the water castle of Moulinet to the bridge of Trabuc ;
The small valley of Couargas.

Commune of Sospel
From the bridge of the Warhead to the small valley of Nieya ;
From the field of the spring to the old customs ;
Giordano property with the Stud farm of Monaco ;
From the 1st bend of Rouscouna until Rabière ;
Course " No Kill ".

A.A.P.P.M.A. de Vence "La Saumonée Vençoise "

Commune of Vence
Stopping with the Mill of Giraudy to the place called "La Passerelle ".

Particular cases

It's prohibited to fish in the streams, channels or stretches the level of wich is lowered artificially (clearing out, work, unusedpower point, accidents with the works of reserve). In the event of natural fall of water, fishing can be regulated or prohibited. An announcement is then published.