Stillwater · Mixed · East Midlands / Rutland

Rutland Water

High-altitude aerial view of Rutland Water reservoir showing the full horseshoe-shaped impoundment.

England's largest trout reservoir — 1,255 hectares of open water in the East Midlands.

Fair · Rainbow
Marabou Damsel · 8-12
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at Rutland Water
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.
55% confidence

Peak season here starts around September — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindSE 12 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
MD
Marabou Damsel8-12
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
SE 12 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp31°C
CloudClear
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

Head to
DamEast CreekWhitwell

A SE wind today is pushing food and drift lanes toward Dam, East Creek and Whitwell. Fish stack progressively at the windward bank — work the exposed shore toward the sheltered end.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Buzzers dawn into late morning April through June; daphnia migrating mid-water June into August; sedges and damsels through summer evenings; back-end on lures and boobies through November.
Where
Drift lines on the open water, the dam, the fishing-lodge area at Normanton where fresh stockies cruise. North Arm fishes well in a south-westerly.
Method
Floater with buzzers under indicator in spring, or the washing line on calm days (booby on the point with buzzers on the droppers); midge-tip and team of three through summer; sweeping or fast-intermediate with lures and boobies for the back-end.
Kit
10 ft #7 boat rod; floating, intermediate and fast-intermediate lines; 6 to 8 lb fluoro. Drogue and a long-handled net.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Marabou Damsel (8-12) — on the point. Evening can produce explosive surface takes — try a foam beetle or booby on a long leader. 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.

Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 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
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
54%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp25%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Eyebrook Reservoir
13 km
Brown trout · Pike · Perch
Elinor Trout Fishery
30 km
Rainbow trout
Sibson Fisheries
30 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
37 km
Pike · Perch · Carp
Pitsford Water
41 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 6
  1. High-altitude aerial view of Rutland Water reservoir showing the full horseshoe-shaped impoundment.
    Rutland Water Reservoir
  2. Aerial photograph over the full extent of Rutland Water reservoir with both bays visible.
    Rutland Water aerial
  3. The earthen embankment dam at Rutland Water with the reservoir water visible behind it.
    Rutland Water Dam
  4. Ground-level view across the open water of Rutland Water from the Barnsdale shore.
    Rutland Water from Barnsdale
  5. Normanton Church standing in the shallows of Rutland Water with the reservoir stretching to the horizon.
    Rutland Water at Normanton
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

England's largest trout reservoir — 1,255 hectares of open water in the East Midlands. Weather takes roughly forty-eight hours to noticeably shift fishing patterns on this large reservoir. Rutland is a destination fishery: huge wild browns to double figures, and hard-fighting stocked rainbows. Boat and bank fishing available; the north arm and dam wall are classic bank beats, while boat anglers drift the open water with teams of buzzers and dries. Prolific buzzer hatches from April dominate the early season; mayfly in late May brings serious dry-fly sport; sedge and daddy-long-legs carry the fishing into September. The reservoir's scale means conditions vary dramatically — sheltered bays fish differently to exposed dam walls. Season runs late March to mid-December. Managed by Anglian Water; day tickets, season permits, and boat hire from the fishing lodge at Normanton.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • High temperatures may push fish deeper and reduce surface activity.
  • Damsel Nymph is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Fly Fishing Near Nottinghamfeatured in this city guideBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations