Where can you go fishing in Touraine?
Each year, some 1.5 million fishermen and women enjoy their favourite pastime in France. On their own, with friends or family, everyone can have fun together, gently letting time go by at the waterside. And if the fish bite, it’s even better! Josette Valenti and François Farnier, recently retired, are great lovers of nature and fishing. They easily convinced us to base this section on their hunt for great fishing spots (a big thank you to them!). Here you will find information about waterways in Indre-et-Loire and a list of accommodation close by. Your future fishing weekend is all set: you just need to get the fishing rods, reels, hooks and nets ready!
Fishing on the banks of the Loire: fun & traditions!
A wide range of fish
The common bleak, river herring, barb, bream, pike, carp, roach, gudgeon, grayling, catfish, rainbow trout, as well as frogs and crayfish: in all, there are some 50 species living in the rivers of Touraine, including its great royal river, the Loire. And plenty of professional fishermen supply restaurants with their best catches. One of them, Romain Gadais, has even opened his own Loire fish restaurant, which he supplies with fish himself: La Cabane à Matelot.
A local fish restaurant on the baks of the Loire – Bréhémont
Waterways map
But before you can enjoy your meal, you need to catch the fish first! The waterways map below will come in handy for gourmets and for anyone who enjoys catch-and-release fishing. And like elsewhere in France, to check on prevailing regulations (fishing seasons, river categories, fishing licence, etc.) and to find the labelled fishing trails or fishing jetties for people with reduced mobility, your best bet is to visit the Indre-et-Loire Fishing Federation website before setting off for your angling weekend. It includes a wide range of information.
Along with the map, here are a few photos of the setting that awaits during your stay:
Fishing weekend in Berthenay
The banks of the Vienne
Fishing jetty
Banks of the Loire in Touraine
Accommodation for your fishing weekend
For the past few years, Gîtes de France has listed a selection of fishing gîtes and guestrooms. They are near rivers and include facilities for fishermen. They have all been approved by the fishing federation. This is the case, for example, of the Pont Salmois guest house and the Gite du Verger, where a private lake provides guests with the chance to fish in peace and quiet:
A weekend’s fishing in the Gîte du Verger with its private lake
Other possibilities: as you can see in the interactive map below, there are campsites all over the region, and many of them are near rivers and lakes. If you have a campervan, you can also stay in a special parking area.