Freestone · Mixed · Peak District / Derbyshire, GB-ENG

River Derwent (Derbyshire)

The River Derwent flowing through the wooded valley at Matlock Bath in the Derbyshire Peak District

Two rivers in one: the upper Derwent above Baslow is fast gritstone moorland water (small flies, duller colours), becoming limestone freestone from Baslow onwards through Derbyshire.

Prime · Brown Trout
Pheasant Tail Nymph · 14-16
Primelive now
About as good as it gets
River steady at a fishable height. On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% confidence
What moved it
  • Level1.00 mLast reading 48 min ago
  • Water temp14.8°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Pheasant Tail Nymph
Pheasant Tail Nymph14-16
Upstream, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Level
Steady
1.00 m
Last reading 48 min ago
Water temp14.8°C
ClarityClear
Weather19°C
WindSE 26 km/h
Pressure1014 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead2.9 mm

The nearest gauge doesn't record temperatures, so we've estimated it — defer to the river keeper's advice.

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Ideal
15°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Brown Trout
When
Olives April through May; Mayfly late May where it shows; sedges through summer; small dark flies into October. Peak District weather changes fast.
Where
Upper Derwent above Bamford is tight pocket water; the middle river through Hathersage and Calver runs through productive trout water.
Method
Upstream dry to risers when olives or sedges are off; North Country spider on the swing in cooler water — Snipe and Purple, Partridge and Orange, Waterhen Bloa. Move upstream slowly, fish each lie properly.
Kit
9 ft #4 — Yorkshire freestone default. Floating line, 9 to 12 ft leader to 4 to 5 lb fluoro. Studded boots for slick stones.
Why this works
Excellent — water temperature is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Caddisflies
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11am

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 12 active hatches hour by hour as a supporter.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds as a supporter.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 4 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Survey-backed · regionalHigh confidence

Backed by regional invertebrate surveys; no sampling on this exact reach yet.

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
Grayling seasonSeason
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
CapererHatch
2
3
3
2
Hawthorn FlyHatch
2
2
GrannomHatch
2
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Brown Trout fly box

Two rivers in one — acid gritstone moor up top where the flies run small and dull, limestone clarity and better hatches below Baslow. Read which river you're standing in and fish it accordingly.

Local classics: Greenwell's Glory·Pheasant Tail Nymph
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Derbyshire Wye
6.0 km
84
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Grayling
Barlow Country Club Fishery
8.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Press Manor Fishing Lakes
13 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Brook trout
Ladybower Reservoir
17 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Ogston Reservoir (Fisherman's Carpark)
17 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The River Derwent flowing through the wooded valley at Matlock Bath in the Derbyshire Peak District
    The River Derwent at Matlock Bath, Derbyshire
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Two rivers in one: the upper Derwent above Baslow is fast gritstone moorland water (small flies, duller colours), becoming limestone freestone from Baslow onwards through Derbyshire. The upper reaches offer varied character (riffles, glides, pools); the limestone sections have better hatches. The Wye tributary at Bakewell is arguably better trout water than the main river itself. Good grayling throughout the middle reaches. The transition from gritstone to limestone means adapting your approach as you fish downstream. Club and association water with some day tickets available.

  • Mixed
Water quality (WFD)
  • Ecology: Moderate
  • Chemical: Unknown
Water quality details
  • Dissolved oxygen: High
  • Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): High
  • Ammonia (Phys-Chem): High
  • pH: High
  • Phosphate: Good
  • Temperature: High
  • Physico-chemical quality elements: Good
  • Chemical: Does not require assessment

EA (England) · UKGB104028052390

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 85 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity78 × 12%9.4
Conditions total= 85
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitysurvey-backed invertebrate datasurvey
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 22 March → 30 September
  • Grayling 16 June → 14 March

    Derbyshire Derwent grayling typically follows the full statutory window on club and association water. Autumn through early winter is the prime period. Check specific club rules for methods.

    Prime sport 1 September → 31 December

Related guides
Grayling Playbookgrayling tacticsYorkshire & SpidersNorth Country methodsTrout Near Londonaccess guide
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts