Stillwater · Limestone · North Wales / Powys

Lake Vyrnwy

Broad view of Lake Vyrnwy reservoir with calm water, wooded hillsides, and the shoreline stretching into the distance.
Marginal · Rainbow
Olive Damsel · 10-12
A patient day, if you fancy it
Good wave on — drift country. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
44% confidence
limited data

Lake Vyrnwy is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindW 18 km/hGentle breeze
Today's fly
OD
Olive Damsel10-12
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
W 18 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave40 cm chop
Water temp—
Air temp20°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Lake Vyrnwy. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently. Evening can bring a surface rise — have a dry fly or emerger ready.
Where
Start with Diawl Bach (12-14) — on the bob / top dropper — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Diawl Bach (12-14) — on the bob / top dropper — slow figure-of-eight retrieve. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

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

Watch for

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

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

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
Rainbow 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
Llyn Coch Hwyad
12 km
Brown trout
Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid)
15 km
Brown trout · Pike · Perch
Llyn Gwyddior
15 km
Brown trout
Llyn Cwmprysor
27 km
Brown trout
Afon Eden (Welsh)
28 km
Brown trout
Gallery · 6
  1. Broad view of Lake Vyrnwy reservoir with calm water, wooded hillsides, and the shoreline stretching into the distance.
    Lake Vyrnwy reservoir
  2. The Victorian Gothic straining tower and approach bridge standing in Lake Vyrnwy, reservoir water surrounding it.
    Lake Vyrnwy straining tower
  3. The stone dam wall of Lake Vyrnwy with the reservoir impounded behind it and wooded hillsides on the far bank.
    Lake Vyrnwy dam and reservoir
  4. Elevated panoramic view over Lake Vyrnwy showing the dam, the straining tower, and the full length of the reservoir.
    Lake Vyrnwy from Craig garth-bwlch
  5. Drone aerial photograph over Lake Vyrnwy reservoir in autumn, the open water ringed by forested hillsides.
    Lake Vyrnwy from the air
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
What this classification means

NRW WFD Cycle 3 (lake) — Llyn Efyrnwy / Lake Vyrnwy: Moderate ecological status. Re-tagged 2026-06-18 from a feeder-river reach to the reservoir's own lake waterbody. Source: NRW DataMapWales WFD Cycle 3 classification layer.

NRW (Wales) · GB30935568

Why this score
  • Sedge is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 15 March → 5 October
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations