Night Carp Fishing in Creuse

The essentials in 20 seconds

Night carp fishing is legal in Creuse on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 13 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.

The Creuse is a plateau department in the heart of France — Millevaches, granite, forest and very few people. Night carp fishing here happens on dam reservoirs rather than rivers: the prefectural order in force opens six of them, from 1 April to 30 November, on marked and measured stretches with numbered swims. The Combes reservoir at Felletin gives around 1,100 metres of bank and ten swims. Faux-la-Montagne has two zones of roughly 500 and 450 metres and fourteen swims. Lavaud-Gelade, between Royère-de-Vassivière and Saint-Marc-à-Loubaud, has three stretches split across both banks and fifteen swims. Champsanglard, spread over Anzême, Jouillat and Champsanglard, offers four shorter zones and fifteen swims. The Age reservoir at Le Bourg-d'Hem has three zones and ten swims. On the Vassivière reservoir, the Creuse side opens a short left-bank stretch at Vauveix with four swims — the lake itself is shared with the Haute-Vienne. Away from the reservoirs, a handful of private lakes run under their own house rules, including Maubrant at Lizières, Montalétang at Saint-Moreil, Les Bourdelles at Bord-Saint-Georges, Méouze at Saint-Oradoux-de-Chirouze, Graves at Sermur, Peyrusse at Chénérailles and Azat-Châtenet. Every reservoir stretch is signposted on the ground and fished from the bank. Check the order in force before you travel: it sets out the zones, their limits and the swim numbers.

Verified venues

Status verified against the current prefectural decree.

Night fishing rules — Creuse

Always check the departmental fishing federation's official list before your session.

Official list — Creuse fishing federation

Frequently asked questions

Is night carp fishing legal in Creuse, 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).

Where can you fish for carp at night in the Creuse?

On six dam reservoirs opened by the prefectural order in force, from 1 April to 30 November: Les Combes at Felletin (ten swims), Faux-la-Montagne (fourteen swims across two zones), Lavaud-Gelade between Royère-de-Vassivière and Saint-Marc-à-Loubaud (fifteen swims across three stretches on both banks), Champsanglard across Anzême, Jouillat and Champsanglard (fifteen swims across four zones), the Age reservoir at Le Bourg-d'Hem (ten swims across three zones), and a left-bank stretch at Vauveix on the Vassivière reservoir (four swims). Every zone is measured, signposted on the ground and fished from the bank. Several private lakes also run under their own house rules.