Stillwater · Limestone · Caithness

Loch Watten

A winter's day at Loch Watten, Caithness, with fishing boats laid up on the shore awaiting the new season.

Caithness limestone loch — one of Scotland's finest wild brown trout fisheries.

Fair · Trout
Bibio · 10-12
Fairlive now
Good drifting conditions on Loch Watten
Water temperature is the limiting factor today, not the wave. Fish dawn or dusk if you go at all, and handle everything with extra care.
59% confidence
What moved it
  • WindSW 15 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Bibio
Bibio10-12
Fish it in the film
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
CloudOvercast
Pressure1017 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Through the open trout season — 15 March to 6 October. Buzzers from April through June; sedges through summer evenings; small dark flies into autumn. Caithness wind drives the fishing — settled-wind days are precious.
Where
Drift lines along the loch's broad open water. Watten is a shallow Caithness limestone-fed loch — fish on and around the weed structure.
Method
Drifted team of three on a floating line — traditional Caithness wet-fly. Soldier Palmer, Loch Ordie, Black Pennell. Drogue is essential on Watten's wide open drifts.
Kit
10 ft #6/7 boat rod, floating and slow-intermediate lines, 6 lb fluoro tippet. Drogue and a long-handled net.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph 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

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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
2
1
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Trout fly box

Still traditional loch-style, but with slightly more room for olives, upwings, lighter attractors and surface-oriented fishing when conditions suit.

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
79%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Loch Watten — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Other water nearby · 2
St John's Loch
16 km
Brown trout
Far North Limestone Lochs
37 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 4
  1. A winter's day at Loch Watten, Caithness, with fishing boats laid up on the shore awaiting the new season.
    Loch Watten in winter
  2. Loch Watten in a snowy winter scene, Caithness, the broad flat landscape framing the loch.
    Loch Watten
  3. The eastern shoreline of Loch Watten, Caithness, with woodland fringing the water's edge.
    Loch Watten's east shore
  4. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Caithness limestone loch — one of Scotland's finest wild brown trout fisheries. Shallow, fertile, rich in fly life. Excellent olive, sedge and buzzer hatches. Fish average 1lb with specimens to 4lb+. Boat and bank. Caithness Fishing Association permits.

  • Loch
  • Limestone
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown

SEPA (Scotland) · UKSC100022

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (breezy) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Daddy longlegs are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 March → 6 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts