Stillwater · Mixed · Perthshire

Butterstone Loch

Two anglers fishing from a boat on the calm waters of Butterstone Loch with wooded hills behind

A famous competition venue on the eastern edge of Dunkeld, tucked into the woods just off the A9.

Fair · Rainbow
Marabou Damsel · 8-12
Fairlive now
Daddy Longlegs expected on Butterstone Loch
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
59% confidence

Butterstone Loch is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 15 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
MD
Marabou Damsel8-12
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
SW 15 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp23°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The caenis are on. Buzzers may also come into play as the day warms. Drift conditions look good — cover the wind lanes. The breeze will be blowing terrestrial insects onto the water — check the wind lanes and downwind margins for rising fish.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Black Pennell on the bob, Ke-He on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work Black Pennell on the bob, Ke-He on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · August highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
65%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp60%

A reasonable day here, though temperature isn't quite in the sweet spot.

Other water nearby · 5
Ledyatt Fishery
24 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Loch of Lintrathen
30 km
Brown trout
Lindores Loch (Golden Loch Fishery)
33 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Orchill Fishery
37 km
Rainbow trout
Frandy Fishery
39 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Two anglers fishing from a boat on the calm waters of Butterstone Loch with wooded hills behind
    Anglers boat fishing on Butterstone Loch, Perthshire
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A famous competition venue on the eastern edge of Dunkeld, tucked into the woods just off the A9. Stocked rainbow and brown trout, boat and bank, fly only, and a long track record of producing Scottish international team selections. Butterstone had a difficult period in 2018–19 with an IHN disease outbreak that forced closure and a complete restock, but it has been back and stable since then, and as of 2026 it is once again holding competitions and fishing properly. The loch is small and sheltered by comparison with the Pentland reservoirs — closer in feel to an English competition stillwater than a Highland loch — and the fish behave accordingly: wary, technical, and capable of making a good angler look foolish twice in the same drift.

  • Loch
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Caenis are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 31 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts