Night carp · 85

Night Carp Fishing in Vendée

Venues sourced from the prefectural decree in force.

venues
27
rivers and canals
12
public lakes
13
private waters
2

The essentials in 20 seconds

Night carp fishing is legal in Vendée on designated stretches defined by prefectural decree. Vegetable baits and boilies only, catch-and-release is mandatory. Geocarp lists 27 verified night venues in this department, with maps, access details and angler reports — in English.

Positions shown to within 1 km. The precise swim map is for members.See the map

Featured — largest lake

Lac de barrage de Mervent

128 ha

See the venue

Verified venues

Venues sourced from the current prefectural decree; private estates follow their operator's rules.

Explore on the Geocarp map

Night fishing rules — Vendée

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

Official list — Vendée fishing federation

Frequently asked questions

Is night carp fishing legal in Vendée, 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 the Vendée a good destination for a carp fishing trip from the UK?

Yes. It is a moderate drive south from the western Channel ports — Caen, Cherbourg or Saint-Malo — and combines legal night fishing on a dozen barrage lakes (Mervent, Apremont, Jaunay, Rochereau and more) with river stretches on the Lay and the Sèvre Nantaise. The Atlantic coast around Les Sables-d'Olonne and the Marais Poitevin add memorable scenery. La Roche-sur-Yon, Fontenay-le-Comte and Les Sables-d'Olonne make convenient bases, with bank stretches designated by prefectural decree.

The Vendée, on France's Atlantic coast just south of the Loire, offers night carp fishing centred on its barrage lakes and a network of rivers and canals. The reservoirs are the core night-carp water: Apremont, Jaunay, Moulin Papon, Rochereau, Mervent, Marillet, Sorin and Finfarine, Graon, Bultière and Vouraie, plus Lac de Tanchet right by the sea at Les Sables-d'Olonne. The rivers add bank parcours on the Lay (La Bretonnière, Sainte-Hermine, La Réorthe), the Sèvre Nantaise through the bocage (Les Epesses, Mortagne-sur-Sèvre) and the river Vendée from Chaix to Velluire. To the south, in the Marais Poitevin, the Sèvre Niortaise and the Sablon, Cinq Abbés and Baisse canals open quieter water. Some parcours are permanent (year-round), others seasonal (1 September to the Monday before the pike opening). Fishing is bank-only, with plant-based baits, on stretches designated by prefectural decree.