Stillwater · Mixed · West Midlands / Warwickshire, GB-ENG

Draycote Water

Draycote Water — Lazy Rider

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

Fair · Rainbow
Minkie · 6-10
Fairlive now
Tougher conditions for Draycote Water today — adapt your approach
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
54% confidence

Peak season here starts around March — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindS 28 km/hModerate breeze
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6-10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Moderate breeze
S 28 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave60 cm wave
Water temp18.1°C
Air temp19°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1008 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Head to
Heat refugeHeat refuge
Valve Tower / Draycote Grass Bank

At 19°C, fish have moved off the surface into cooler water — the deep, cool dam corner at Valve Tower / Draycote Grass Bank is the place to start.

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 Minkie (6-10) — on the point. 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.

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

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

Bank, sheltered shores

In wind, bank fish the lee shore — boats can anchor in productive areas if conditions allow.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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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 · October highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
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
Draycote Water Fishing Map
Click to expand

Draycote Water Map

Tap to view full map

Draycote Fly-Fishers Association · design millamap.com · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
45%
Cloud50%
Wind30%
Temp60%

Conditions are away from Draycote Water's sweet spot — it usually fishes best in ripple wind with cloud skies.

Other water nearby · 5
Ravensthorpe Reservoir
23 km
Pike · Perch · Carp
Packington Somers Fishery
24 km
Rainbow trout
Hollowell Reservoir
24 km
Pike · Carp · Perch
Pitsford Water
32 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Thornton Reservoir
38 km
Rainbow trout
Gallery · 7
  1. Draycote Water — Lazy Rider
    Lazy Rider
  2. 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
  3. Draycote Water reservoir with Thurlaston village across the water on the far shore.
    Thurlaston from Draycote Water
  4. Sailing dinghies on Draycote Water reservoir on a sunny day with open water behind.
    Sailing boats at Draycote Water
  5. Landscape photograph of Draycote Water reservoir showing open water and surrounding countryside.
    Draycote Water
  6. The large eastern dam embankment of Draycote Water reservoir with water visible.
    Draycote Water dam
  7. 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 (windy) are not ideal for this water.
  • Buzzer is in its seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish well at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 April → 30 September
Related guides
Big Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatchThermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperature
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts