Night carp · 16
Night Carp Fishing in Charente
Venues sourced from the prefectural decree in force.
- venues
- 30
- rivers and canals
- 15
- public lakes
- 3
- private waters
- 12
The essentials in 20 seconds
Night carp fishing is legal in Charente on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 30 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.
Verified venues
Venues sourced from the current prefectural decree; private estates follow their operator's rules.
- Private estate
Etang Arnaud
- Decree-sourced
Etang du Sérail
- Private estate
Etang du Tâtre
- Private estate
High Mill Lake - Etang de Brigueuil
- Private estate
L'étang du carpiste
- Decree-sourced
La Charente - Secteur Triac-Lautrait
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Condac (80 m) – Rive droite
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Mansle-les-Fontaines / Saint-Groux (340 m) – Rive gauche
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Parcours 20 Km
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Ambérac
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Aunac-sur-Charente
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Bourg de Condac
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Bourg-Charente
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Châteauneuf sur Charente
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Cognac (Bourg-Charente → abattoirs)
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Merpins et Cognac Lot n°26, 30 et 31
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Montignac – Hippodrome
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Saint-Groux – Prairie de Villorioux
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Saint-Michel
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Sireuil Lot n°15
- Decree-sourced
La Charente – Secteur Verteuil-sur-Charente
- Decree-sourced
La Dronne – Secteur Bonnes
- Decree-sourced
La Dronne – Secteur Laprade
- Decree-sourced
La Dronne – Secteur Les Essards
- Decree-sourced
La Dronne – Secteur Saint Quentin de Chalais
- Decree-sourced
La Vienne – Secteur Confolens
- Decree-sourced
La Vienne – Secteur Exideuil-sur-Vienne
- Decree-sourced
Lac de Lavaud
- Decree-sourced
Lac de Mas-Chaban
- Private estate
No Limit Carp Fishing
Night fishing rules — Charente
Always check the departmental fishing federation's official list before your session.
Frequently asked questions
Is night carp fishing legal in Charente, France?
Yes, on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Geocarp lists these venues with maps, access details and angler reports.
Do I need a French fishing licence?
Yes. A valid French fishing licence (carte de pêche) is mandatory and can be bought online at cartedepeche.fr. Some venues require an additional night carp option from the local angling club (AAPPMA).
What baits are allowed at night in France?
Vegetable baits and boilies only. Any carp caught at night must be released immediately — keeping or transporting carp at night is prohibited by French law (decree 2004-599).
Is Charente a good base for a carp fishing trip from the UK?
Yes. Charente is an easy inland drive from the western ferry ports and combines legal night fishing on the river Charente, the Dronne and the Haute-Charente reservoirs with classic Cognac-country touring. Angoulême and Cognac make convenient bases, and the river holds accessible, well-stocked night-carp stretches designated by prefectural decree.
Charente — the heart of Cognac country — is built around the river Charente, the department's main night-carp axis, running from Angoulême down to the celebrated stretches near Cognac: Saint-Michel, Bourg-Charente, Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, Sireuil and Merpins, plus a continuous run of around twenty kilometres. To the south, the Dronne offers quieter parcours around Aubeterre; to the north, the Vienne flows through Confolens. For big-water sessions, the Haute-Charente reservoirs — Lavaud and Mas-Chaban — and several private lakes are open at night. Fishing is bank-only and limited to stretches designated by prefectural decree.