Stillwater · Peat · Scottish Borders

West Water Reservoir

Wide view of West Water Reservoir with the dam wall, grassy hills and Mendick Hill in the background, thistles in the foreground.

A high, bleak Scottish Water reservoir in the upper Tweed catchment near West Linton, on the southern fringe of the Pentlands and a short drive from Peebles.

Fair · Trout
Kate McLaren · 12-14
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at West Water Reservoir
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
61% confidence

West Water Reservoir is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 15 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
Kate McLaren
Kate McLaren12-14
Retrieve, 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 temp22°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
May to July and September
Where
Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. Early in the day, nymphs and buzzers fished slowly tend to outperform attractors.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. Early in the day, nymphs and buzzers fished slowly tend to outperform attractors.

Plan B

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Watch for

Buzzers may strengthen through the middle of the day as conditions warm.

Bank

Bank-only venue. Fish from accessible margins, points, weed edges, and inflows.

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
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
Trout fly box
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
59%
Cloud50%
Wind65%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Loganlea Reservoir
10 km
Brown trout
Harperrig Reservoir
12 km
Brown trout
Glencorse Reservoir
13 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Threipmuir Reservoir
13 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Allandale Tarn Fisheries
15 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Wide view of West Water Reservoir with the dam wall, grassy hills and Mendick Hill in the background, thistles in the foreground.
    West Water Reservoir and its dam, with Mendick Hill rising behind in the Pentland Hills.
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A high, bleak Scottish Water reservoir in the upper Tweed catchment near West Linton, on the southern fringe of the Pentlands and a short drive from Peebles. Wild brown trout only — no stocking, no rainbows, and a permit scheme that keeps the fishing low-pressure. The reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest for its upland geese and moorland bird community, which limits casual use and is half the reason it still feels like proper wild water. Bank fishing, fly only. The trout are modest in size and plentiful in the right conditions, and they fish like wild hill-loch browns everywhere: honest, eager on a ripple, impossibly hard on a flat calm. Bring waterproofs. The weather here is the weather.

  • Reservoir
  • Peat
Why this score
  • Buzzers 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 fishingBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts