A Guide to the Season at Les Croix As something extra we would like to offer you some hints to help you decide when to come carp fishing here at Les Croix. We realise of course that you may be limited in terms of which weeks are available to you, but we would like to offer some advice about this part of France, our lake and its inhabitants... If you want the carp at their heaviest,then it will be in March/April/Early May, or October/November. If you want the warmest weather, then its July - September ! Fine but not too hot ? Try May /June or October. March - The start of our fishing season, the weather is normally mild but it can be wet at this time of year. The fish will be at a good weight for sure and will be feeding well before spawning. April/May - 2 of the best months for fishing with the carp really getting their heads down in April as the weather starts to warm up with longer days.The fish are at their highest weights at this time. 2008 saw a lot of big fish caught in these two months. 2009 saw the lake record catch of 1000lbs+ to one angler. Note about spawning - It is impossible to know in advance when the fish are going to spawn. Not all of the carp spawn at the same time. In 2007 they spawned in April, May and again in June. In 2008 and 2009 It was once in May and once in June. In all probability the carp will start to spawn in late May and will have finished by midddle of June. Spawning has not had a detrimental effect on fishing at Les Croix and some of the biggest catches have come either side of spawning activity. June - SImilar to May, June is the most beautiful month in France, when everything is blooming, and this part of France is incredibly lush and green. The carp should have spawned by now and the females will obviously be down in weight, but they should also be feeding hard to regain their condition. Typical daytime temperatures in the high 20's. July - Getting warm now, with temperatures often getting into the 30's during the afternoons, but often followed by thunderstorms which cools everything down again ! August - Either red hot with thunderstorms like July or quite cool ! A difficult month to predict here, it can be very hot with temperatures in the high 30's, or occasionally it can be a cool month. Either way it is the peak holiday season here in France ! September/October - PRIME TIME ! For fishing, certainly two of the best months of the year, the days are getting slightly shorter and the fish are starting to feed harder in order to build up their fat reserves for the winter. The weather is normally settled and it can still be warm, even in late October - in 2006 and 2008 it was in the high 20's right until the end of the month. November - March November has always been my favourite month for carp fishing - the carp will be at their highest weights of the year and they will be in their full autumn colours, and fighting fit ! The weather is changing and the nights will be longer and cooler, but daytime temperatures can still be pleasant here, we often eat outside at lunchtime ! Look out for details of special offers in the off season months. Click here to enquire about a booking Current weather conditions The Charente annual climate 
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