Stillwater · Mixed · South / Oxfordshire, GB-ENG

Farmoor Reservoir

Wide panoramic view across the open water of Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire.

Two concrete-bowl reservoirs near Oxford — Farmoor I and Farmoor II — managed as a fly fishery.

Fair · Rainbow
Minkie · 6–10
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
48% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindW 5 km/hCalm · Gusts to 9 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Calm · Gusts to 9 km/h
W 5 km/h
N
W
from the west
WaveRipple
Water temp7.0°C
Air temp1°C
CloudClear
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

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

Reservoir levelas of 31 Oct
74% full
Below average
Source: Thames Water, monthly (end of month)
How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Conditions are not ideal but fishable at Farmoor Reservoir. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Minkie (6-10) — on the point. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses.

Plan B

Slow down everything. A booby on a fast-sinking line, left static, can pick up deep fish.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

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 5 as a supporter.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · November highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
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.

Buzzer team todayfor the conditions now
Point
Bloodworm
Not in this water's box
#10
How to fish it
Slow-sink line · slow figure-of-eight, pausing to let the flies hang

Fly recommendations

Point fly shown — supporters see the whole team, sizes and why.

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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
River Windrush
20 km
Brown trout · Grayling
River Leach
23 km
Brown trout
Lechlade & Bushyleaze Trout Fisheries
24 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Salford Trout Lakes
29 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
River Coln
32 km
Brown trout · Grayling
Gallery · 4
  1. Wide panoramic view across the open water of Farmoor Reservoir, Oxfordshire.
    Farmoor Reservoir
  2. Open water expanse of Farmoor Reservoir viewed from the northern bank with the far shore and sky.
    Looking across Farmoor Reservoir
  3. Farmoor Reservoir water surface viewed across the open reservoir, Oxfordshire.
    Farmoor Reservoir
  4. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

The exposed, featureless water demands mobile fishing: find the fish, cover them, move on. Bank fishing around the perimeter; boat fishing on Farmoor II. The concrete bowl means fish cruise predictable circuits. Stocked with rainbow, brown and blue trout, and it holds big pike too — Thames Water's own pages talk of 40-pound fish. Buzzer fishing excellent from April; evening sedge hatches in summer can produce spectacular sport. Run directly by Thames Water from the rangers' lodge at Gate 3: day tickets on arrival, boats booked ahead at the lodge, and a level-access Wheelyboat.

Surface area
1.5 km² (368 acres)
Mean depth
4.9 m (16 ft)
Length
1.7 km (1.1 mi)
Width
1.1 km (0.7 mi)
Area, mean depth, length and width: Wikipedia, Farmoor Reservoir
  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish hard at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Stocked Trout Variantsblue, tiger & golden troutBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
Clubs & associations
At a glance

Farmoor Reservoir is a reservoir in South / Oxfordshire, England. It sits at about 110 m above sea level. Our data lists rainbow trout, brown trout and pike here. The trout season is recorded as running from 1 January to 31 December. Best window recorded for anglers: April–June. Core methods listed: Bank fishing with buzzers; lure; drifting from boat. Nearby waters in our listings include River Windrush at 20 km, River Leach at 23 km and Lechlade & Bushyleaze Trout Fisheries at 24 km.