A trip down the Lesse crosses several divisions of the same text, the Walloon Government order of 19 March 2009. Each section has its own station, its own thresholds and sometimes its own season. One section can therefore be closed while the one you are paddling is open. The general principles are on the navigation conditions page.
- Official status
- Paddling allowed (since 27/10 at 11:28)
- Regulated stretch
- The Lesse between Gendron and Anseremme
- Reference gauge
- Gendron
- Permitted range
- 1.5 – 52.0 m³/s
- 72-hour average
- 7.9 m³/s
Sections and thresholds
| Section | Station | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daverdisse to Chanly (winter) | Daverdisse | none | 14 m³/s |
| Han-sur-Lesse weir to upstream of the Houyet bridge (winter) | Wanlin | none | 47 m³/s |
| Houyet to Gendron | Gendron | 2 m³/s | 52 m³/s |
| Gendron to Pont-à-Lesse, then downstream | Gendron | 1.5 m³/s | 52 m³/s |
The two upstream sections are open only from 1 October to 15 March and have a ceiling but no minimum. The stretches that rental companies use, from Houyet or Gendron to Anseremme, have a real window: 1.5 to 52 m³/s from Gendron onwards. This is what the Lesse water level page shows.
Where the right to paddle begins and ends
The part open all year starts at the place called Al Mainprez, 100 m upstream of the Houyet bridge. It continues to the first fixed weir at Anseremme. Between this weir and the confluence with the Meuse, the Lesse is a navigable waterway, under a broader hours regime. The two upstream sections listed above open only in winter.
Two days when the river is closed
Outside the last navigable stretch, all navigation is banned on the opening day of trout fishing, the third Saturday in March, and on the general fishing opening day, the first Saturday in June. These closures apply even if the flow is perfect. Check the calendar before booking a spring weekend.
Paddling hours
On the non-navigable sections, the permitted hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from 1 October to 15 June, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. from 16 June to 30 September. On a Saturday in July, the trip from Gendron to Anseremme must therefore be finished by 6 p.m., which affects your choice of start time. The Gendron to Anseremme trip takes about three hours.
Signage and reminders
Launching and landing take place at designated areas, marked according to Annex 3. The coloured flags some operators use to summarise conditions have no legal value: only the flows in the annexes and the official signage count. As for the life jacket, the order does not require it, but rental companies supply one and make you wear it.