Stillwater · Mixed · West Midlands / Warwickshire

Draycote Water

Panoramic view of Draycote Water reservoir from the south-east, the open expanse of water under a blue sky.
Contributor photo

Draycote Water from the south-east

G-13114 - CC BY-SA 4.0

A 243-hectare Midlands reservoir that joined the Anglian Water portfolio in April 2025 alongside Grafham, Rutland, and Pitsford.

Fair · Rainbow
Diawl Bach · 12-14
Fairlive now
Reasonable summer fishing likely at Draycote Water
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
60% confidence

Peak season here starts around March — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindW 9 km/hLight breeze
Today’s fly
Diawl Bach
Diawl Bach12-14
Washing-line, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Light breeze
W 9 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveRipple
Water temp—
Air temp13°C
CloudClear
Pressure1021 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

Head to
Wind shiftWind shift
Hensborough BankSaddle BankToft Shallows

The wind has shifted to a W today, but 2 days of a SW wind has loaded food into Hensborough Bank, Saddle Bank and Toft Shallows. Fish haven't had time to redistribute — start there before following the new direction.

How to fish it · for rainbow
When
Buzzers dawn into late morning April through June; daphnia mid-water in summer; sedges into September; back-end lures through October.
Where
Coomb Bay, the dam, and the open water boat marks. Bank access is good — popular Midlands water.
Method
Floater with buzzers under indicator in spring; midge-tip and team of three through summer; sweeping line 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
66%
Cloud25%
Wind100%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Packington Somers Fishery
24 km
Rainbow trout
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
25 km
Pike · Perch · Carp
Pitsford Water
32 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Thornton Reservoir
38 km
Rainbow trout
Salford Trout Lakes
42 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Blue trout
Gallery · 6
  1. Panoramic view of Draycote Water reservoir from the south-east, the open expanse of water under a blue sky.
    Draycote Water from the south-east
  2. Draycote Water reservoir with Thurlaston village across the water on the far shore.
    Thurlaston from Draycote Water
  3. Sailing dinghies on Draycote Water reservoir on a sunny day with open water behind.
    Sailing boats at Draycote Water
  4. Landscape photograph of Draycote Water reservoir showing open water and surrounding countryside.
    Draycote Water
  5. The large eastern dam embankment of Draycote Water reservoir with water visible.
    Draycote Water dam
  6. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

A 243-hectare Midlands reservoir that joined the Anglian Water portfolio in April 2025 alongside Grafham, Rutland, and Pitsford. Trout stocking continues as before, and from 2025 predator fishing has been added — pike and perch targeting in the colder months. The dam wall remains one of England's great bank-fishing marks, with deep water close in and reliable buzzer fishing from April. Boat drifts over Toft Bay and Lin Croft are productive in southerly winds. Sedge and daddy bring fish to the surface in late summer.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • 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