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Trout fishing on the Borne: permits, rules and safety

Trout fishing on the Borne: permits, rules and safety

·William Bories·fishingtroutle-bornehaute-savoieriver

Camping Les Marronniers is in Le Petit-Bornand-les-Glières, part of the municipality of Glières-Val-de-Borne, between the Borne river and the Jalandre stream. The two meet in the village, close to the campsite. To fish for trout on the Borne, you simply walk out of the campsite.

Here is what we know from reliable sources, and what you should check before your first cast.

Fishing permits: at campsite reception

The campsite is an approved agent of the AAPPMA du Faucigny, the angling association that manages fishing on the Borne. We issue your fishing permit at reception through the official cartedepeche.fr system. You can also buy it yourself online on that site.

Good to know, according to the Haute-Savoie Fishing Federation:

  • the AAPPMA du Faucigny permit is also valid on the Annecy Rivières and Chablais-Genevois AAPPMA waters;
  • Haute-Savoie is not part of any reciprocal angling scheme: an EHGO or URNE permit bought elsewhere is not valid here.

The Borne in brief

According to the tourist office, the Borne rises at the Col de l'Oulettaz above Le Grand-Bornand and runs about 31 km down to Bonneville. It is a first-category river holding brown trout of local strain.

The tourist office also lists an AAPPMA du Faucigny stretch called "Le Borne en aval des étroits", which it describes as technical water for experienced anglers.

Permitted techniques and baits depend on the stretch. The Federation's rules are the reference: read them before choosing your rig.

Regulations: check this year's rules

The rules change every year. The only reference is the Haute-Savoie Fishing Federation, at pechehautesavoie.com.

  • Season: in France, river trout fishing normally opens on the second Saturday of March and closes on the third Sunday of September. These dates can be adjusted by prefectoral order.
  • Minimum size: 25 cm for river brown trout, according to the Federation's 2026 table.
  • Bag limits: they vary between rivers and lakes. Check the current rules.
  • Drought: prefectoral orders can restrict fishing. Check the Federation news page and the town hall's PanneauPocket feed.

Lac de Lessy

Lac de Lessy lies at 1,733 m, at the foot of the Pic de Jallouvre. It was reopened to fishing in 2009 after sealing works.

You can only get there on foot. From the Cenise car park, the tourist office gives about 8.6 km round trip, 590 m of ascent and about 4 hours' walking, on a route rated difficult. The route from Paradis is rated very difficult.

According to the tourist office listing:

  • the fish present is brook trout;
  • catches are limited to one fish per angler per day;
  • only natural bait or fly is allowed, with a single barbless hook;
  • fishing opens later than on the river, in early June;
  • swimming, fires and camping are banned at the lake.

Check these rules and this year's dates before you go up.

Safety by the water

  • EDF Beffay dam: it sits on the Borne about 2 km downstream of the campsite. Below this kind of structure, the flow can rise suddenly at any time, even in fine weather. EDF advises staying on the banks and offers the "EDF Prudence" app.
  • Swimming: you can swim in the Borne and the Jalandre, but there is no lifeguard.

Before you go

  • Get your permit at reception or on cartedepeche.fr.
  • Download this year's rules from pechehautesavoie.com.
  • Check for any drought restrictions.

Tight lines!

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