Stillwater · Mixed · South East / Kent-Sussex border

Bewl Water

A westward view of Bewl Water reservoir showing the open body of water flanked by wooded shoreline.
Contributor photo

Bewl Water Reservoir

David Anstiss - CC BY-SA 2.0

South-east England's largest reservoir at 308 hectares — a long, sinuous water with numerous arms and bays that create diverse fishing.

Good · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Goodlive now
Good summer conditions for Bewl Water
Good wave on — drift country. Drift fishing weather — three flies on a long leader.
65% confidence

Peak season here starts around September — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindW 12 km/hGentle breeze
Today’s fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Washing-line, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Gentle breeze
W 12 km/h
N
W
from the west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp—
Air temp15°C
CloudClear
Pressure1022 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

Head to
Wind shiftWind shift
Bewl StraightBramble Point

The wind has shifted to a W today, but 2 days of a SW wind has loaded food into Bewl Straight and Bramble Point. Fish haven't had time to redistribute — start there before following the new direction.

How to fish it · for rainbow
When
Buzzers dawn through morning April through June; daphnia mid-water in high summer; sedges into September; back-end lures and boobies before close.
Where
Garrison Point and the open boat marks; the dam end fishes well in cold water. Bewl's smaller scale rewards anglers who know its bays.
Method
Floater with buzzers under indicator in spring; midge-tip and team of three through summer; sweeping line 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 Booby (8-10) on a fast strip on floating line or static on sinking. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. If that does not produce, switch depth or speed before changing the pattern entirely. In the ripple, a bushy searching dry (Hopper, Shipman's, Elk Hair Caddis) outperforms flush emergers — it stays visible and holds the surface tension.

Plan B

If the main plan stalls, drop to a size 14–16 midge — switch to a washing-line or suspender rig and change drift line before you change food group.

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.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July 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
91%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Bewl Water — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Other water nearby · 5
Lakedown Trout Fishery
9.0 km
Rainbow trout
Spring Hill Trout Waters
9.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Chalybeate Springs Trout Fishery
12 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Hastings Fly Fishers Club (Powdermill Reservoir)
19 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Tenterden Trout Waters
20 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Blue trout
Gallery · 6
  1. A westward view of Bewl Water reservoir showing the open body of water flanked by wooded shoreline.
    Bewl Water Reservoir
  2. Bewl Water reservoir from a westward viewpoint showing the open water surface and reservoir landscape.
    Bewl Water reservoir
  3. Bewl Water reservoir in Kent with open water as the primary subject and countryside beyond.
    Bewl Water Reservoir, Kent
  4. A broad south-westward view across the open water of Bewl Water with wooded shoreline in the distance.
    View across Bewl Water Reservoir
  5. The earthen dam at Bewl Water photographed from the water side, showing the dam face and open reservoir.
    Bewl Water Dam
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

South-east England's largest reservoir at 308 hectares — a long, sinuous water with numerous arms and bays that create diverse fishing. Stocked rainbows and brown trout; the sheltered arms fish well in spring with buzzers and small nymphs. Boat and bank fishing; the Hook Straight and Bewlbridge arms are popular. The clay-bed water can colour after rain, which helps lure fishing. Good evening sedge hatches in summer. Managed by Bewl Water Fishery; day tickets, boats, and tuition available.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (breezy) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Booking & contacts