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Pike opening: when?
Many still have in mind a May 1st opening for pike fishing in second category. Legislation has changed for 2019, with the authorities preferring two consecutive weekend fishing days rather than a bank holiday in the middle of the week. The fishing season now opens on the third Saturday in April and closes on the last Sunday in January of the following year. Note that you can fish for pike in first-category rivers from the beginning of March, provided you release them before April 25.
Pike opening: what time?
The legal opening time is set by prefectural decree, "half an hour before sunrise". As the sun doesn't rise at the same time everywhere, you need to refer to the nearest big city! A simple Google search will give you the answer. You can fish from 6.38 am around Strasbourg, 6.39 am around Nice, 6.40 am around Metz, 6.45 am in Lyon, but much later in the west: 7.00 am in Rouen and even 7.19 am around Brest!
Pike opening: at what price?
Everyone checks their gear, makes their last purchases in the store, oils their reels and scans the weather. But some forget to pick up their fishing card! It's compulsory to fish in the public! I always remind you that we're talking about a fishing license, not a permit, because a permit requires you to pass an examination (driving license, hunting license, for example). All you have to do is go to a card dealer or to cartedepeche.fr. The inter-federal card costs 114 euros this year. A federal card costs between 85 and 105 euros.
Few people know that you can fish with a single line on public rivers and lakes anywhere in France. A federal card issued in the Haut-Rhin department will allow you to fish on the Loire at Tours or the Aigle dam in Corrèze! There are preferential rates for under-18s and women. Daily and weekly passes are also available at lower prices.
Pike opening: mesh, window and quota
In France, we're pretty much in agreement on the catch date, with the exceptions detailed in the next paragraph, but there's a lot of disagreement about mesh sizes, quotas and now catch windows! And here, you have no choice but to consult the regulations of your departmental federation.
50 cm mesh in eight départements: Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes de Haute-Provence, Corsica, Aveyron, Haute-Garonne, Yvelines and Ariège.
Catch window 50-70 cm in two départements: Rhône-Alpes and Aisne.
60 cm mesh in all other departments, with partial or total capture windows at 60-80 cm. It would take too long to list all departments (except Mayenne: 60-75 cm).
In most cases, excluding no-kill runs, the quota is three carnivorous fish, including a maximum of two pike, per day and per angler. But sometimes this quota is reduced to one pike! And on no-kill runs, of course, all fish are released.
Pike opening: exceptions
Pike fishing is authorized all year round in Aveyron and Tarn-et-Garonne, but only from April 25. Before this date, release is mandatory. Lac du Bourget (Savoie, first category) opens on Monday April 20, and Lac Léman (Haute-Savoie) on Tuesday April 21. Some lakes are also open all year round, such as Serre-Ponçon (window 60-85) and Sainte-Croix. In the private sector, fishing is open all year round, but not necessarily harvesting.
Pike opening: what about other fish?
The opening of the pike season also means the start of fishing for all predators, as shads, metal lures and livebaits can once again be used without restriction. However, more and more départements are protecting pike-perch and black-bass, in the middle of the breeding season, with staggered openings. Do not target these fish, and release them if caught accidentally. On the other hand, there is no specific protection for perch, asp, catfish or chub, other targets of lure anglers, although a few exceptions are beginning to emerge for perch.
