Lac du Bourget cheat sheet
Every fish, the licence and limits, the six rigs and the one box of tackle. One page to take to the water.
Lac du Bourget
April is thin (most predators still closed). Late May to autumn is the prime window. Lavaret runs until 18 October.
Licence
French carte de pêche from cartedepeche.fr or a local shop. Week card ~€36.50, day ~€18 (Savoie, 2026). Boat fishing, multiple lines, or a gambe over 3 nymphs needs the AAPPMA boat option and the catch logbook.
Size & bag limits
Pike 60 cm, zander 50 cm, perch no minimum, lake trout 50 cm and 1 a day. Max 3 predators a day, all species combined.
Release (PCB ban)
Arctic char, eel, bream, tench, roach over 10 cm go back. Lavaret is the eating fish; pike, perch, zander fine within limits; lake trout please release.
Bank vs boat · season · time → rig
| Fish | Bank | Boat | Season / time | Rig |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perch | Main bank fish | Over the drop-off | From ~25 Apr; dawn & dusk; summer 10–20 m | Drop shot / sliding float |
| Perch, deep | Steep drop-off | Yes | June–July deep (20–40 m) | Slip-float paternoster |
| Zander | River mouths, low light | The real edge | From ~30 May; dusk; floods; 2–20 m | Vertical jig / drop shot |
| Pike | Harbours, mouths, pontoons | Plateaus, drop-offs | From 20 Apr; May–June 3–5 m, summer 6–15 m | Pike rig |
| Lavaret | Long rod, ~5 nymphs | Lowered to the shoal | Closes 18 Oct; 15–30 m summer | Gambe / sabiki |
Bank only is mainly a perch and pike trip at dawn and dusk. A boat adds the zander, and the lavaret.
The rigs
0.8 braid → swivel → 0.22 fluoro → hook in-line (#1–#4) point-up, tag to a 3–14 g weight
Palomar0.8 braid → swivel → 0.22 fluoro → 15 g jighead (2/0) + 4" paddletail
Palomar · non-slip loopMain line → bobber stopper → bead → float (~11.5 g) → split shot → swivel → hook #6
PalomarBobber stopper → bead → slip float → dropper loop with hook (#6), weight (3–14 g) on the end
Dropper loop · Palomar0.8 braid → swivel → trace (wire / 0.50–0.90 mm) → big shad on a 15 g+ jighead, or a roach under a float
Palomar · non-slip loopMain line → 5–18 nymphs (#12–16, black & red) on dropper loops → 5–30 g weight on the bottom
Dropper loops · PalomarWhat you need
One light spin outfit and one small box of terminal tackle build nearly all of it. The pike trace and a sabiki are the only extras.
The knots (only three)
| Knot | Ties | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar | Hook, swivel, jighead, trace, sabiki-to-main. The workhorse. | Every rig |
| Dropper loop | A standing loop in the line for a hook branch. | Paternoster, gambe |
| Non-slip loop | A fixed loop at a lure or jighead for free movement. | Vertical jig, pike lures |
Learn the Palomar first; it ties most of this. Wet every knot before you pull it tight. The float rigs use a bought bobber stopper, so there is no stopper knot to tie.
This one page is the printable I take to the water.
Give me an email and I will show it to you, ready to print. A one-page reference: what's on by month, the licence and limits, a rig for every fish, the shared tackle box and the knots.
I'll send you the cheat sheet, and email you when I add a new place to fish. Nothing else.