Stillwater · Mixed · Perthshire, GB-SCT

Butterstone Loch

Two anglers fishing from a boat on the calm waters of Butterstone Loch with wooded hills behind

A famous competition venue on the eastern edge of Dunkeld, tucked into the woods just off the A9.

Good · Rainbow
Minkie · 6-10
Goodlive now
Buzzer on Butterstone Loch
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Fishable ripple — drift the productive shore.
66% confidence

Butterstone Loch is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSE 28 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
SE 28 km/h
N
SE
from the south-east
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp11.6°C
Air temp13°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
The buzzer is on. Lake Olive may also come into play as the day warms.
Where
Work Black Pennell on the bob, Olive on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Work Black Pennell on the bob, Olive on the middle dropper, and Marabou Damsel 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

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

Boat — at anchor

Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Daphnia SwarmHatch
2
3
3
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
57%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp100%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Ledyatt Fishery
28 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Loch of Lintrathen
30 km
Brown trout
Lindores Loch (Golden Loch Fishery)
33 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Orchill Fishery
37 km
Rainbow trout
Frandy Fishery
39 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Two anglers fishing from a boat on the calm waters of Butterstone Loch with wooded hills behind
    Anglers boat fishing on Butterstone Loch, Perthshire
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A famous competition venue on the eastern edge of Dunkeld, tucked into the woods just off the A9. Stocked rainbow and brown trout, boat and bank, fly only, and a long track record of producing Scottish international team selections. Butterstone had a difficult period in 2018–19 with an IHN disease outbreak that forced closure and a complete restock, but it has been back and stable since then, and as of 2026 it is once again holding competitions and fishing properly. The loch is small and sheltered by comparison with the Pentland reservoirs — closer in feel to an English competition stillwater than a Highland loch — and the fish behave accordingly: wary, technical, and capable of making a good angler look foolish twice in the same drift.

  • Loch
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 31 October
Related guides
Scotland Playbookloch & river fishingSmall Stillwater Playbookstillwater tacticsThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts