Stillwater · Mixed · East / Cambridgeshire, GB-ENG

Grafham Water

Grafham Water near Grafham - geograph.org.uk - 5341637

A 630-hectare reservoir that pioneered modern English stillwater fly fishing.

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

Peak season here starts around March — worth planning ahead.

What moved it
  • WindW 7 km/hLight breeze · Gusts to 12 km/h
Today's fly
Minkie
Minkie6–10
Retrieve, sub-surface
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze · Gusts to 12 km/h
W 7 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.

Head to
Wind shiftWind shift
Hill FarmHedge EndG Buoy

The wind has been westerly for about a day, but a day of a northerly has loaded food into Hill Farm, Hedge End and G Buoy. The fish may not have moved on yet — check there before following the new wind direction.

Reservoir levelas of 9 Nov
55% full
Below Average
Source: Anglian Water, entered by hand weekly
How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Buzzers dawn through late morning April through June — Grafham is a buzzer factory in spring. Daphnia mid-water in summer; sedges into September; lures and boobies for the back-end.
Where
The dam wall is the classic bank pitch; boat anglers drift the open water from Hill Farm. Wind lanes through the middle hold concentrations of fish.
Method
Drift on a floater with buzzers under indicator early in the year, or fish the washing line on calm days (booby on the point with buzzers on the droppers); midge-tip and team of three through summer; sweeping line and boobies into October.
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

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
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
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
Grafham Water Fishing Map
Click to expand

Grafham Water Map

Tap to view full map

Angler’s map · Anglian Water (Feb 2025)

What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
65%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp60%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Elinor Trout Fishery
18 km
Rainbow trout
Sibson Fisheries
21 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Pitsford Water
37 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Pike
Eyebrook Reservoir
40 km
Brown trout · Pike · Perch
Rutland Water
46 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout · Pike
Gallery · 7
  1. Grafham Water near Grafham - geograph.org.uk - 5341637
  2. Grafham Rainbow
    Grafham Rainbow
  3. A broad open view across Grafham Water reservoir in Cambridgeshire.
    Grafham Water
  4. The open expanse of Grafham Water on a calm summer's day with sky reflected in the still surface.
    Grafham Water
  5. Open water view across Grafham Water reservoir in Cambridgeshire.
    Grafham Water
  6. The earthen dam retaining wall at Grafham Water reservoir viewed from the water side.
    Grafham Water dam
  7. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Allow two full days for major weather systems to influence where fish are holding. Grafham practically invented the lure-stripping and buzzer techniques that spread everywhere else. Consistently produces big fish: rainbows average 2–3 lb with regulars to 5 lb+, and wild browns to double figures lurk in the deeper water. Boat and bank fishing; the dam wall and Savage's Creek are legendary bank marks. Buzzer hatches from April are prolific; the reservoir's exposed position means wind lanes concentrate food and fish. Managed by Anglian Water with day tickets and boat hire from the lodge.

Surface area
6.3 km² (1,552 acres)
Mean depth
about 9.2 m (30 ft)
Max depth
21 m (69 ft)
Length
4.3 km (2.7 mi)
Width
2.4 km (1.5 mi)
Area, mean depth (volume ÷ area), max depth, length and width: Wikipedia, Grafham Water
  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • winter conditions with clear skies and ripple wind.
  • Reservoirs of this kind fish hard at this time of year.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 7 March → 31 January
Related guides
Winter Pike on the Flyfeatured in this guideBig Stillwater Playbookreservoir tacticsReservoir Entomologymatching the hatch
Casting instructors near here
Booking & contacts
At a glance

Grafham Water is a reservoir in East / Cambridgeshire, England. It sits at about 27 m above sea level. Our data lists 4 species here, including brown trout, rainbow trout and pike. The trout season is recorded as running from 7 March to 31 January. Best window recorded for anglers: April–June, September–October. Core methods listed: Drifting buzzers from boat; lure fishing from bank; washing line. Nearby waters in our listings include Elinor Trout Fishery at 18 km, Sibson Fisheries at 21 km and Pitsford Water at 37 km.